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COL.  JNO.  S.  FORD,  Author. 


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ORIGIN  AND 


Fall  of  the  Alamo 


MARCH  6,  1836. 


^ 


By  John  S.  Ford,  ; 

\ 

One  of  a  Committee  of  the  Alamo  Association.  ^ 

"SEP18  1896  ) 


1896: 

Johnson  Rkothkks  Pkintini;  Company, 
Sail  AiiUiiio,  Texas. 


.H'\ 


San  Antonio,  May  30,  1895. 
T/ie  Committee ,  appointed  to  prepare  a  History  of  the  Alamo,  re- 
port as  follows: 

In  treating  of  the  Alamo  it  is  due  to  the  people  of  Texas  to 
give,  at  least,  a  short  account  of  the  settlement  of  Americans  in 
Texas,  and  of  the  causes  leading  to  the  revolution  of  1835  and 
1836.  There  were  Americans  in  Texas  previous  to  the  advent  of 
Moses  Austin,  December,  1820.  Anterior  to  this  period  of  time 
Americans  had  entered  Texas  with  a  view  of  assisting  the  revolu- 
tionists in  the  war  they  were  waging  against  the  King  of  Spain. 
They  effected  good  service  on  several  occasions.  In  the  interior 
portions  of  Mexico  Americans  rendered  considerable  aid  to  the 
Mexicans.  The  United  States  in  throwing  off  the  yoke  of 
England  was  an  example  many  States  in  America  endeavored  to 
imitate.  The  effect  of  these  causes  gave  to  Americans  a  distin- 
guished consideration.  It  was,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  main 
inducements  causing  a  favorable  answer  to  be  made  to  Moses 
Austin  when  he  applied  for  authority  to  introduce  settlers  into 
Texas.     This  authority  was  granted  in  182 1. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  L,a  Salle  had  entered  Texas  in 
1685,  and  had  made  a  settlement  of  Frenchmen,  and  had  built 
Fort  St.  Ivouis,  on  the  Lavacca  river.  This  fact,  with  others  of  a 
later  date,  induced  the  Viceroy  of  Mexico,  the  Duke  of  Linares, 
to  take  steps  for  the  permanent  occupation  of  Texas.  He  sent 
Don  Domingo  Ramon  with  troops,  and  a  party  of  Franciscan 
friars  to  civilize  and  christianize  Indians.  This  occurred  in  17 15. 
Ramon  established  some  forts  and  missions.  He  located  a  fort, 
ox  presidio  as  the  Spaniards  call  them,  on  San  Pedro  creek,  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  public  square  of  the  city  of  San 
Antonio.  The  name  given  to  this  presidio  was  San  Antonio  de 
Valero.  In  1718  the  Franciscans  established  a  mission  at  this 
place.  It  ,was  removed  on  more  than  one  occasion,  and  was 
located  on  what  is  now  the  Military  plaza  of  San  Antonio.  From 
there  it  was^removed,  in  1718,  to  its  present  site,  the  east  bank  of 
the  San  Antonio,'river,  and  is  known  as  the  church  of  the  Alamo. 
It  received  a  supply  of  water   by   means  of  the  Alamo  ditch — 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE   ALAMO.  3 

Acequia  Madre  del  Alamo.  The  erection  of  the  church  was  com- 
menced in  17 16.  It  faces  to  the  west.  There  were  other  build- 
ings connected  with  the  church.  East  of  the  church  stood  the 
Convent,  191  feet  in  length;  it  ran  north  to  the  south  line  of  East 
Houston  street.  There  was  an  enclosure  north  of  the  Convent 
5-ard.  There  wfere  houses  attached  to  the  mission,  which  had 
been  inhabited.  Outside  of  the  mission  were  houses  occupied,  at 
one  time  by  christianized  Indians.  The}^  abandoned  them  when 
the  Texians  took  possession  of  the  Alamo.  It  was  in  these  houses 
that  the  Texians  found  eighty  or  ninety  bushels  of  corn.  The 
walls  of  the  Alamo  and  the  adjoining  building  were  too  exten- 
sive to  be  occupied  and  defended  by  150  men. 

After  the  death  of  Moses  Austin,  his  son,  Stephen  F.  Austin, 
proceeded  to  carry  into  effect  the  introduction  of  settlers  into 
Texas. 

Great  attention  to  Texas  had  been  drawn  by  the  reports  of 
men  who  had  been  engaged  with  officers  who  had  entered  Texas 
to  aid  the  Mexicans  in  achieving  their  independence.  It  was 
known  tnat  Mexico  was  encouraging  emigration.  When  Austin 
visited  the  City  of  Mexico,  he  found 'a  number  of  influential 
gentlemen  asking  for  permission  to  become  empresarios,  that  is, 
to  become  leaders  of  immigrants.  They  were  offered,  and,  as  a 
rule,  received  a  grant  of  land  for  the  introduction  of  each  person. 
Austin  succeeded,  and  began  his  settlements  on  the  Brazos  river. 
Other  gentlemen  were  also  successful.  The  country  began  to  511 
up  with  .settlers.  It  was  full  of  Indians,  who  were  opposed  to 
the  introduction  of  white  people.  They  waged  an  incessant  and 
cruel  war  upon  the  Texians. 

The  leaders  in  Mexico  became  jealous  of  the  accession  of 
Americans  as  citizens.  They  evinced  their  opposition  by  acts  of 
oppression.  The  American  settlers  had  sworn  to  obey  and  sup- 
port the  Mexican  constitution  of  1824.  By  several  acts  of  Gen. 
Santa  Anna  indicating  his  intention  to  assume  the  dictatorial 
position  the  people  of  Texas  became  assured  of  his  intention  to 
overthrow  the  constitution  of  1824.  The  people  of  Texas  had 
given  the  Mexican  government  some  very  convincing  proofs  of 
their  intention  not  to  submit  to  the  exercise  of  any  illegal  and 
tyrannical  acts  against  them. 

The  government  of  the  United  States  had  proposed  to  pay 
the  Mexican  government  $4,000,000  for  Texas.    This  proposition 


4.  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

angered  the  Mexicans  and  increased  their  antipathy  to  Texians. 
They  began  to  persecute  them  by  sending  troops,  not  to  chastise 
Indians,  but  to  check  and  punish  Texians  for  their  adhesion  to 
correct  and  liberal  principles.  These  military  aiders  of  tyranny 
were  expelled  from  Texas.  One  of  these  envoys  of  a  despotic 
president  was  an  American  by  birth,  Col.  Bradburn.  He  robbed 
Texians,  and  made  prisoners  of  William  B.  Travis,  Patrick  H. 
Jack  and  Monroe  Edwards.  The  Texians  embodied,  elected  Col. 
Francis  W.  Johnson  to  command.  By  their  representations  to 
Col.  Piedras,  commander  at  Nacogdoches,  Col.  Bradburn  was 
removed  from  Texas.  This  event  took  place  in  1831.  Bradburn 
was  posted  at  Anahuac.  On  June  25th  Capt.  John  Austin,  at 
the  head  of  sixty  men,  defeated  Lt.-Col.  Ugartechea,  at  Fort 
Velasco.  He  had  125  men.  August  2,  1832.  Col.  James  W. 
Bullock  defeated  Col.  Piedras  at  Nacogdoches.  These  affairs 
took  place  while  President  Bustamente  was  in  power  in  Mexico. 
The  Texians  took  sides  with  Santa  Anna  at  that  time.  He  was 
beaten  by  Gen.  Santa  Anna,  who  succeeded  to  the  presidency  of 
Mexico.  The  people  of  Texas,  reposing  confidence  in  Santa 
Anna,  declared  for  him.  He  had  been  one  of  the  heroes  in  the 
Mexican  struggle  for  independence.  He  soon  undeceived  them; 
became  dictator;  overthrew  the  constitution  of  1824,  and  issued 
an  order  for  the  disaiming  of  the  people — one  man  out  of  every 
five  hundred  was  allowed  to  own  a  hre  lock.  On  May  16,  1833, 
Santa  Anna  took  his  seat  as  President  of  Mexico.  At  that  date 
Stephen  F.  Austin  was  a  prisoner  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  Austin 
had  belonged  to  a  convention  to  form  a  constitution  for  Texas. 
That  body  elected  Austin,  W.  H.  Wharton  and  Miller  to  present 
to  the  President  of  Mexico  a  statement  of  affairs  in  Texas.  It 
was  written  by  David  G.  Burnet,  afterwards  President  of  Texas. 
Stephen  F.  Austin  was  the  only  person  who  visited  Mexico. 
This  was  in  March,  1833.  Santa  Anna,  at  that  time,  had  retired 
from  the  Mexican  capitol.  He  was  .scheming  to  effect  the  work 
he  afterwards  performed,  that  is,  to  be  made  President  under 
laws  he  dictated.  He,  after  various  trials  to  have  Austin 
condemned  by  the  court,  allowed  him  to  return  to  Texas.  He 
arrived  in  September,  1835. 

Col.  Austin  found  the  people  of  Texas  in  great  excitement. 
They  had  discovered  that  Santa  Anna  was  unfriendly  to  them. 
The  municipalities  of  different  .sections  had  held  public  meetings, 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  5- 

and  announced  their  intention  to  support  the  Mexican  constitu- 
tion of  1824.  It  must  be  reuierabered  that  the  Indians  had  made 
war  upon  them,  and  they  were  compelled,  as  a  measure  of  per- 
sonal safety,  to  carry  arms  at  all  times.  Circumstances  made 
them  watchful  and  efficient  soldiers.  War  was  forced  upon  them  ; 
necessity  causer"  them  to  bear  arms  ;  God  had  implanted  in  their 
natures  the  principles  of  honor  and  integrity  ;  and  practice  had 
converted  them  into  heroes  in  the  cause  of  right. 

The  Texians  appealed  to  their  fellow  citizens  of  Mexico  with- 
out effect.  They  used  every  effort  in  their  power  to  prove  their 
disposition  to  be  peaceful  and  useful  citizens  of  the  Republic  of 
Mexico.  It  was  aH  of  no  avail.  In  1834  Santa  Anna  determined 
to  send  4,000  troops  to  San  Antonio.  He  sent  Colonel  Juan  N. 
Almonte  into  Texas  ;  as  a  spy,  no  doubt.  On  October  13,  1834, 
the  first  revolutionary  meeting  in  Texas  was  held  at  San  Antonio. 
They  approved  the  calling  of  a  convention  at  that  place,  to  meet 
November  15.  This  motion  was  made  by  Don  Erasmo  Seguin. 
October  20th  another  meeting  was  held  at  San  Felipe,  They  pro- 
posed the  dissolution  of  Texas  from  the  State  of  Coahuila. 

In  January,  1835,  the  Congress  of  Mexico  met.  The  State  of 
Zacetecas  had  declared  for  the  constitution  of  1824.  The  Con- 
gress declared  Zacetecas  in  a  state  of  rebellion.  This  induced 
General  Santa  Anna  to  head  3,400  men  to  march  into  Zacetecas. 
May  10,  1835,  Don  Francisco  Garcia,  at  the  head  of  5,^00  troops, 
was  defeated  by  Santa  Anna.  The  City  of  Zacetecas  was  deliv- 
ered to  the  Mexican  soldiers,  and  was  plundered  for  two  days. 
The  people  of  Texas  now  saw  what  they  might  expect  from 
President  Santa  Anna.  General  Cos,  a  brother-in-law  of  Santa 
Anna,  was  ordered  from  Matamoros  to  Monclova  to  disperse  the 
legislature  of  Coahuila,  which  he  accomplished 

Meantime,  the  people  were  preparing  to  meet  the  coming  war. 
The  municipali'des  resolved  to  do  their  duty.  In  July,  1835, 
Ivorenzo  de  Zavala,  late  Governor  of  the  State  and  City  of  Mexico, 
arrived  in  Texas.  He  was  made  Minister  to  France,  but  fled 
from  Santa  Anna.  The  Texians  formed  committees  of  public 
safety.  July  17,  1835,  there  was  a  meeting  of  representatives  of 
the  municipalities  of  Austin,  Columbia  and  Mina,  held  at  San 
Felipe.     They  did  some  good. 

The  Mexican  forces  were  expected  in  October  to  aid  in  the 
change  of  government  in  Texas.      Immigrants  from  the  United 


6  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

States,  since  the  law  of  April  6,  1830,  were  to  be  driven  from  the 
country.  A  long  list  of  proscribed  Texians  had  been  prepared. 
They  were  to  be  arrested  and  tried  by  drum-head  court.  Slaves 
were  to  be  freed.  Empresarios  dismissed — none  but  emigrants 
from  Mexico  admitted.  These  were  among  the  objects  proposed 
to  be  accomplished.  These  intended  changes  spurred  the  Tex- 
ians on  to  resistance. 

In  1835  the  command  of  Capt.  Tenorio,  at  Auahuac,  were  cap- 
tured by  Col.  Wm.  B.  Travis.  The  Texians  of  Columbus  issued  a 
call  for  "a  consultation  of  all  Texas."  It  was  dated  August  20, 
1835.  Col.  Ugartechea  was  removed  from  command,  at  Goliad,  by 
Gen.  Cos  ;  Col.  Candelle  took  his  place.  He  stripped  Goliad  of 
arms,  forced  the  citizens  to  become  soldiers,  and  ordered  five  s  )1- 
diers  to  be  quartered  on  each  family.  He  placed  the  alcade  in 
jail,  and  forced  the  administrador  to  hand  over  $5,000,  under  pen- 
alty of  going  to  San  Antonio  in  two  hours,  on  foot.  Gen.  Cos 
reached  San  Antonio  late  in  September,  1835. 

In  1 83 1  a  piece  of  artillery  had  been  furnished  the  town  of 
Gonzales  by  the  commandant  at  San  Antonio.  Ugartechea,  in 
San  Antonio,  in  1835,  sent  a  messenger  to  df.mand  the  cannon. 
It  was  refused.  Cos  ordered  Capt.  Castonado  to  take  one  hun- 
dred men  and  secure  the  cannon.  He  reached  Gonzales  Septem- 
ber 29,  1835. 

During  the  interval  the  committee  of  safety  had  sent  runners  to 
procure  men.  The  men  came.  They  numbered  168,  and  elected 
John  H.  Moore,  Colonel,  and  J.  W.  E.  Wallace  I^ieut. -Colonel. 
The  Texians  crossed  the  river  Guadalupe,  and  firing  occurred — 
some  Mexicans  reported  killed.  Capt.  Castonado  retreated.  This 
affair  opened  the  revolution. 

The  Texians  felt  the  importance  of  united  action  and  prepara- 
tion. The  committee  of  safety  agreed  to  send  one  of  their  num- 
ber from  each  municipality  to  San  Felipe,  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
curing unity  and  concert  in  measures.  Of  this  R.  R.  Royall  was 
cho.sen  president.  The  people  of  San  Augustine  nominated  Gen. 
Sam  Houston  to  command  her  troops.  Nacodoches  approved  the 
suggestion.  The  money  paid  for  land  and  custom-house  dues 
was  appropriated  by  the  Texians.  Efforts  were  made  to  secure 
arms  and  ammunition.  The  people  were  united.  The  spirit  of 
'76  was  in  the  ascendant.  Eess  than  100,000  in  population, 
threw  down  the  gauntlet  to  an  organized  government  of  8,000,- 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  y 

OCX).  They  knew  the  penalty  of  failure  was  death  in  all  its  hor- 
rible forms. 

The  volunteers  arrived  daily  at  Gonzales.  They  made  a  propo- 
sition to  defer  the  meeting  of  the  consultation  till  November  ist. 
October  12th  five  hundred  men  crossed  the  Guadalupe  river,  des- 
tined for  San  Antonio.  The  resolution  had  been  formed  to  drive 
every  Mexican  soldier  out  of  Texas.  Stephen  F.  Austin  arrived 
at  Gonzales  October  loth.  He  was  elected  General.  The  fight 
at  Mission  Concepcion  took  place  on  October  28  The  Texians 
numbered  ninety,  the  Mexicans  several  hundred.  Victory  perched 
on  the  banner  of  the  revolutionists. 

The  members  of  the  consultation  in  the  Texas  army  were  per- 
mitted to  proceed  to  San  Felipe.  The  army  besieged  San  Anto- 
nio. Gen.  Austin  was  appointed  to  visit  the  United  States  to  pro- 
cure men  and  means.  His  colleagues  were  Dr.  Branch  T.  Archer 
and  W.  H.  Wharton.  Edward  Burleson  was  elected  to  command. 
On  December  10,  1835,  Gen.  Cos  surrendered. 

The  incidents  of  the  siege  of  S  m  Antonio  are  worthy  of  notice. 
It  was  reported  in  the  Texian  camp  that  Col.  Ugartechea  was  on 
his  way  with  reinforcements  for  Gen.  Cos.  A  force  of  Texians 
under  Col.  Bowie,  with  Deaf  Smith  as  guide,  was  sent  out  to  inter- 
cept Ugartechea.  Gen.  Cos  had  sent  men  out  to  obtain  a  supply 
of  grass  for  his  horses.  They  were  on  their  return  and  about  five 
miles  from  the  city  they  were  discovered.  When  they  were  within 
a  mile  of  town  the  Texians,  under  Bowie,  charged  them.  A  fight 
ensued.  The  Mexicans  were  endeavoring  to  reach  their  head- 
quarters. Gen.  Cos  detached  reinforcements.  The  main  body  of 
the  Texas  troops  came  up.  They  charged,  and  the  Mexicans  con- 
tinued to  fight,  though  moving  for  town.  Their  loss  was  about 
fifty  killed  and  a  number  wounded.  The  Texians  had  none  killed, 
two  wounded  and  one  missing.  They  captured  about  seventy  head 
of  horses.  This  affair  is  known  as  the  ''Grass  Fight."  It  occurred 
November  26,  1835. 

Dr.  Grant  created  trouble  by  advocating  a  campaign  against 
Matamoros,  Mexico.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  were  deluded  into 
the  belief  that  the  Mexicans  were  ripe  for  driving  Santa  Anna 
out  of  Mexico.  November  29th  Grant  was  reported  to  have  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  ready  to  march  to  the  Rio  Grande.  The 
annexed  happenings,  no  doubt,  prevented  Dr.  Grant  from  divid- 
ing the  Texas  force. 


8  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF    THE  ALAMO. 

December  3,  1835,  Messrs.  John  W.  Smith,  Holmes  and  Samuel 
Maverick  entered  the  Texas  lines.     They  had  been  detained  by 
Gen.  Cos  since  the  affair  at  Gonzales.    They  reported  the  strength 
of  the  enemy  as  exaggerated.    The  idea  of  storming  San  Antonio 
had  been  suggested  and  advocated.     It  was  popular.    Meantime, 
about  the  4th  of  December,  Arnold,  the  Texas  guide,  had  returned. 
Lieutenant  Vuavis,  of  the  Mexican  army,  had  deserted,  and  was 
examined  by  Gen.  Burleson.     He  reported  dissatisfaction  in  the 
Mexican  camp  ;  that  the  strength  in  the  city  was  much  less  than 
supposed.     On  the  evening  of  that  day  Col,  Benjamin  R.  Milam 
cried  aloud,  "  Who  will  go  with  old  Ben  Milam  to  San  Antonio  ?  " 
There  was  a  general  shout  of  approval.     The  parties  advocating 
the  scheme  assembled  at   Gen.  Burleson's  headquarters.     They 
fell  into  line,  and  at  once  elected  Milam  to  lead  them.     He  directed 
them  to  meet  him  at  the  old  mill  at  night  to  complete  arrange- 
ments.    Gen.  Burleson  and  the  whole  command   said  the  matter 
met   their  approbation.     At  the   mills   the  attacking  party  was 
formed  in  two  divisions.     The  first  under  the  immediate  command 
of  Col.  Milam,  assisted  by  Col.  Nidland  Franks  of  the  artillery, 
and  Major  R.  C.  Morris  of  the  New  Orleans  Greys.    Mes.sr.s.  Mav- 
erick, Cooke  and  Arnold   acted  as  guides.     The  .second  column 
was  commanded  by  Col.  Frank  W.  Johnson,  assisted  by  Colonels 
James  Grant  and  Wm.  T.  Austin,  with  Deaf  Smith  and  John  W. 
Smith  as  guides.    Gen.  Burleson  agreed  to  bold  his  position  until 
the  result  of  the  attack  was  known.     Col.  J.  C.  Neill  was  directed 
to  make  a  feint  upon  the  Alamo  to  direct  the  attention  of  the 
enemy,  while  the  others  were  entering  the  town.     The  attacking 
party  consisted  of  three  hundred  and  one  men.     The  companies  of 
Captains  York,  Dickinson,  English  and  Ward,  composed  the  first 
division,  under  Colonel  Milam,  commander.      The  companies  of 
Captains  Cooke,  Breese,  Peacock,  Swisher  and  Edwards,  formed 
the  second  division  under  Col.  Johnson. 

Col.  Neill  performed  his  part.  He  opened  fire  on  the  Alamo, 
and  drew  the  attention  of  the  enemy  to  that  quarter.  When  he 
heard  the  guns  of  Milam  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  he  with- 
drew. Milam  moved  on  Acequia  street  (Ditch  street).  Johnson 
entered  Soledad  .street  (Solitary  street).  The.se  two  streets  run 
nearly  south  on  parallel  lines,  and  enter  the  Main  square,  the  first 
at  the  northwest  and  the  other  at  the  northeast  corner.  At  these 
points  the  enemy  had  erected  works.      Milam's  division  occupied 


MISSION   CONCEPCION 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  g 

de  la  Garza's  house,  Johnson  the  Veramendi  house.  Both  these 
houses  were  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  Main  square. 
The  Veramendi  house  is  still  standing.  The  door  on  the  street 
side  shows  signs  where  l)alls  passed  through.  On  approaching 
the  Veramendi  house  a  sentinel  fired  on  the  Texians.  He  was 
killed  b}'  Deaf  Smith.  Upon  this,  the  Mexicans  began  a  furious 
firing  from  the  town  and  the  Alamo.  A  twelve  pounder  and  a 
six-pounder  accompanied  the  two  divisions.  The  twelve-pounder 
was  soon  dismounted,  and  the  six-pounder  made  about  useless. 
The  Texians  covered  themselves  with  difficulty.  They  soon 
opened  fire  with  their  rifles,  and  silenced  all  the  artillery  within 
their  reach.  The  fight  continued  during  the  day.  The  Texians 
established  communication  between  the  two  divisions.  That  day, 
the  5th  ot  December,  they  lost  one  man  killed  and  twelve  wounded. 
Among  the  wounded  were  Lieutenants  Hall  and  Deaf  Smith. 

During  the  night  the  enemy  kept  up  a  continuous  fire.  Tlie^'^ 
placed  men  on  tops  of  houses  in  their  possession.  They  cut  loop- 
holes in  the  parapet  walls  of  the  houses. 

On  the  6th  the  Mexicans  kept  up  a  steady  fire  of  cannon  and 
small  arms.  On  that  day  Lieut.  Wm.  McDonald,  of  Capt.  Crane's 
company,  captured  a  house  to  the  right  and  a  little  in  advance  of 
de  la  Garza's  house.  This  extended  the  Texas  line  westwardly 
and  in  direction  of  the  Military  Plaza.  They  strengthened  their 
works  and  remounted  their  twelve-pounder.  On  this  day  they 
had  five  men  wounded 

The  morning  of  the  third  day  the  enemy  fired  briskly  from  a 
trench  between  the  Alamo  and  the  river.  By  11  o'clock  this  fire 
was  silenced,  and  that  of  some  of  the  Mexican  artillery.  A 
house  stood  between  the  Garza  house  and  the  plaza  buildings. 
This  was  entered  by  the  gallant  Karnes,  crow-bar  in  hand,  backed 
by  the  company  of  Captain  York.  They  held  the  position.  In 
the  evening  the  fire  of  the  Mexicans  was  brisk.  Colonel  Milam 
was  killed  at  the  back  of  the  Veramendi  house.  He  was  buried 
near  where  he  fell.  Captain  Swisher  was  present  at  the  burial, 
and  afterwards  pointed  out  the  exact  spot.  This  was  an  incen- 
tive inducing  Texians  to  strike  for  vengeance. 

Yoakum  says:  They  immediately^  set  on  foot  a  party  to  take 
possession  of  the  house  of  Antonio  Navarro,  .situated  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Main  street,  one  block  west  of  the  Main  plaza, 
l)ut  commanding  a  portion  of  the  Military  plaza,  and  the  Mexi- 


lo  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

can  redoubt  on  the  second  block  west  of  the  main  square.  The 
party  consisted  of  portions  of  the  companies  of  Captains  I^lewy- 
llen.  English,  Crane  and  York.  They  advanced  from  the  house 
taken  by  Karnes,  and  forced  an  entrance.  The  enemy  endeav- 
ored to  retake  it  by  firing  through  the  loop-holes  made  in  the 
roof;  but  the  Texians  returned  the  fire  through  the  snme  loop- 
holes, and  drove  them  off. 

On  the  8th  of  December  the  "Zambrano  Row"  was  taken. 
The  thick  partition  walls  were  penetrated  by  crow-bars.  The 
fight  was  fierce  and  subborn,  but  the  enemy  were  finally  expelled. 
General  Burleson  sent  a  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Gill  to 
assist  the  Texians.  The  Mexicans  attempted  a  diversion  by 
sending  a  detachment  of  about  fifty  men  in  the  direction  of  the 
Texas  camp.  They  were  forced  to  retire  by  the  fire  of  a  six- 
pounder.  The  occupants  of  the  the  '"Zambrano  Row"  were  re- 
inforced by  the  companies  of  Captains  Swisher,  Alley,  Kdwards 
and  Duncan.  At  this  time  the  Texians  had  command  of  the 
northwest  portion  of  the  enemy's  main  defen.ses. 

On  December  8th,  at  night,  a  party  of  about  one  hundred 
Texians  attacked  the  "Priest's  House."  It  commanded  the 
plaza.  In  approaching  the  building  the  men  were  subjected  to 
a  heavy  fire.  They  moved  rapidly,  broke  down  the  wall  of  an 
outbuilding,  and  drove  the  Mexicans  from  the  "Priest's  House." 
They  cut  loop-holes,  and  prepared  to  use  their  rifles  with  effect 
when  daylight  appeared.  The  enemy  abandoned  the  square  and 
retired  to  the  Alamo. 

On  the  morning  of  December  9th  General  Cos  sent  in  a  flag  of 
truce,  proposing  to  surrender.  Cos  had  been  reinforced  by  five 
hundred  convicts,  conducted  by  Col.  Ugartechea.  They  were 
chained  and  guarded  by  one  hundred  infantry.  They  were  a 
source  of  trouble  and  disquietude.  In  addition,  there  was  a 
derth  of  provisions.  The  force  of  General  Cos  was  estimated  at 
800  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  "volunteers."  After  that  his 
force  consisted  of  1,400  men.  The.se  he  surrendered,  December 
10,  1835.  He  pledged  that  he  and  his  men  were  not  to  fight 
against  the  Texians,  unless  exchanged.  He  Tvas  allowed  to  pur- 
chase provisions.  He  begun  his  march  to  Laredo  on  the  14th 
day  of  December,  at  the  head  of  i,  105  troops.  The  balance  were 
allowed  to  remain  in  obedience  to  terms  of  capitulation.  The 
Mexican  loss  was  about  150  killed.     The  Texian  loss  very  small. 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  ii 

The  disabled  and  sick  Mexicans  were  allowed  to  remain,  and 
were  cared  for  by  the  victors. 

Col.  Johnson,  the  leader  of  the  attacking  party  after  the  fall  of 
Col.  Milam,  remained  in  command  at  San  Antonio  for  a  short 
while.     He  is  now  dead. 

Gen.  Edward  Bnrle.son  returned  to  his  home.  He  was  after- 
wards Vice-President  of  the  Republic  of  Texas.  He  died  in  the 
year  1851. 

Samuel  Maverick  was  a  zealous,  useful,  and  efficient  friend  of 
Texas.  He  was  an  able  citizen,  and  filled  many  places  of  trust. 
He  died  several  years  since.  He  had  the  good  will,  and  pos- 
•sessed  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

The  writer  took  account  of  the  siege  of  San  Antonio  princi- 
pally from  Yoakum's  history.  He  had  no  time  to  consult  other 
accounts. 

Mrs.  Bradley  deserves  mention  as  one  of  the  old-timed  resi- 
dents of  San  Antonio. 

The  consultation  met  November  ist.  They  consisted  of  55 
members.  They  elected  Sam  Houston  General  in  Chief,  Henry 
Smith  Governor  and  James  W.  Robinson  Lieutenant-Governor  of 
Texas.  They  left  one  member  from  each  municipality  to  assist 
the  Governor  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties — about  15.  These 
were  not  all  present  at  one  time;  part  of  them  went  home,  and 
returned.  They  differed  with  Governor  Smith;  quarrelled  with 
him;  assumed  unqualified  authority,  and  assumed  to  displace  the 
Governor  from  office,  electing  J.  W.  Robinson  Governor.  All 
this  was  done  without  the  sanction  of  law.  These  gentlemen 
were,  no  doubt,  patriots.  They  appointed  men  to  fill  military 
offices,  intending  to  invade  Mexico.  The  Texians  butchered  at 
San  Patricio,  Refugio  and  Goliad,  resulted  from  the  action  of 
the  opponents  of  Governor  Smith.  General  Houston  attempted 
to  concentrate  the  army,  but  his  orders  were  not  obeyed.  This 
trouble  was  the  cause  of  the  failure  to  send  men  to  reinforce  Travis 
at  the  Alamo. 

After  the  surrender  of  General  Cos  many  of  the  Texians  re- 
turned to  their  homes.  A  garrison  was  left  at  San  Antonio,  under 
command  of  Col.  Neill.  Dr.  Grant  revived  his  project  of  a  cam- 
paign against  Matamoros.  He  illegally  took  possession  of  winter 
clothing,  ammunition,  provisions,  and  in  addition  induced  a  large 
number  of  the  garrison  to  follow  him.     He  seized  private  prop- 


[2  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO. 

erty,  without  authority.  He  left  and  proceeded  to  San  Patricio, 
where  outside  the  town  he  was  attacked  by  General  Urrea,  and 
his  party  all  killed.  His  coadjutor,  Colonel  Frank  W.  Johnson 
was  at  San  Patricio  with  men.  They  were  surprised,  defeated 
and  many  of  them  killed.  General  Urrea  had  moved  from  Mata- 
moros.  He  destroyed  the  command  of  Colonel  Fannin.  They 
surrendered  as  pri.soners,  and  the  main  portion  of  them  were 
afterwards  shot,  by  order  of  General  Santa  Anna,  in  violation  of 
the  rules  of  civilized  warfare.  The  Alamo  had  previously  fallen. 
The  number  of  soldiers  who  had  been  sacrificed  by  the  vaulting 
ambition  of  a  few  leaders,  and  the  acts  of  a  few  members  of  the 
consultation,  amounted  to  nearly  one  thousand.  These,  if  they 
had  obeyed  General  Houston's  order  to  fall  back,  and  concen- 
trate, would  have  been  able  to  meet  Santa  Anna  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  settlements,  beaten  hira,  and  secured  peace. 

After  Dr.  Grant  had  stripped  San  Antonio  of  men  and  means 
there  was  left  of  the  garrison  150  men.  They  had  been  poorly 
paid.  Col.  Neill  had  received  orders  to  burn  the  Alamo,  destroy 
what  he  was  unable  to  remove,  and  march  to  a  designated  place. 
He  has  never  published  his  reason  for  disobedience  of  orders. 
He  left,  it  is  averred,  to  procure  transportation  for  the  arms,  and 
public  property,  in  the  city.  Deaf  Smith  accompanied  him, 
which  was  a  deprivation  to  the  men  of  the  garrison.  About  this 
time  Colonel  Travis  arrived;  he  brought  about  thirty  men.  He 
assumed  command  of  the  regulars.  Colonel  Bowie  commanded  the 
volunteers.  He  had  visited  the  different  commands  aiming  to 
march  into  Mexico,  and  endeavored  to  persuade  them  to  desi.>-t, 
and  obey  oiders.  He  came  to  San  Antonio;  it  was  his  home. 
After  the  departure  of  Deaf  Smith  there  was  no  one  the  Texians 
placed  confidence  in  who  could  inform  them  of  the  approach  of 
General  Santa  Anna.  He  was  expected,  but  no  one  knew  when 
he  would  arrive.  Colonel  Seguin  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Texians.  He  was  afterwards  in  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto.  He 
sent  a  relative  to  L,aredo.  He  returned  and  reported  General 
Santa  Anna  at  Laredo,  at  the  head  of  an  arjny.  The  Texians 
would  not  believe  him. 

General  Santa  Anna  proceeded  up  the  Rio  Grande  to  a  point 
opposite  Presidio  Rio  Grande,  to  effect  a  junction  with  troops 
coming  from  the  State  of  Coahuila.  At  Laredo  he  met  the 
retiring  troops  of  General   Cos.     This  command   was   forced   to 


ORIGIN  AND  PALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  rj 

violate  the  terms  of  their  surrender,  and  return  to  Texas.  Santa 
Anna  marched  upon  the  road  direct  from  Presidio  Norte  to  San 
Antonio.  Prairie  fires  had  destroyed  the  grass.  Sergeant  Be- 
cerra,  of  Santa  Anna's  army,  affirms  that  the  members  of  a 
mounted  regiment  had  to  walk  and  lead  their  horses.  The  want 
of  provender  had  rendered  them  unable  to  carry  a  soldier.  Gen- 
eral Santa  Anna  issued  orders  on  the  march,  indicating  his  inten- 
tion to  treat  Texians  with  the  most  relentless  severity  When  the 
Mexican  command  reached  the  Medina,  Sergeant  Becerra  said 
General  Santa  Anna  was  visited  by  a  Mexican  gentleman  of  San 
Antonio.  Senor  Navarro.  The  General  asked  questions  about 
the  Texians.  He  was  informed  there  was  a  fandango  in  the 
city,  and  quite  all  the  Texians  were  in  attendance,  no  doubt. 
The  General  expressed  an  intention  to  move  at  once,  and  sur- 
prise them.  A  very  heavy  rain  had  fallen  recently.  The  Medina 
was  quite  full.  The  army  had  camped  on  both  sides  the  stream. 
The  ammunition  wagons  were  on  the  south  side,  and  could  not 
be  passed  over  with  apparent  safety.  There  was  no  boat  with 
the  Mexican  command.  In  a  conversation,  General  Santa  Anna 
is  reported  to  have  said,  that  the  Mission  of  Concepcion  was 
better  calculated  to  be  defended  by  a  small  party  than  the  Alamo, 
and  he  anticipated  the  Texians  would  occupy  it. 

February  23,  1836,  the  Mexican  army,  4000  strong,  formed  by 
the  Desiderio  hill.  A  Texian  sentinel  on  the  church,  between 
Main  and  Military  Plazas,  reported  a  force  in  view.  A  man  went 
up.  The  sentinel  said  the  force  had  been  moved.  A  spirited 
altercation  ensued.  The  report  of  the  sentinel  caused  excite- 
ment. In  order  to  arrive  at  the  truth  Colonel  Travis  directed 
Dr.  John  Sutherland  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Smith  to  ride  out  and  see. 
They  proceeded  to  Desiderio  hill,  looked  below,  and  saw  an  army 
drawn  up,  not  far  from  them.  They  retreated  rapidly.  Suther- 
land's horse  moved  badly.  His  feet  seemed  clogged  with  mud. 
He  turned  over,  topsy-turvy,  fell  on  vSutherland,  crippled  him 
and  broke  his  gun.  He  laid  on  Sutherland  till  Smith  alighted, 
and  pulled  him  off.  When  they  reached  the  public  square  the 
Texians  were  retiring  to  the  Alamo.  On  their  march  they  came 
upon  a  herd  of  cattle,  twenty-five  or  thirty  in  number.  These 
they  drove  into  the  Alamo. 

Dr.  Sutherland  wrote  an  account  of  the  fall  of  the  Alamo.  It 
is  the  nearest  evidence  of  one  of  the  noble  defenders  of  the  Alamo 


i^  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO. 

we  have.  The  wounds  he  received  from  the  fall  of  his  horse 
rendered  him  incapable  of  bearing  arms.  He  was  employed  in 
the  effort  to  procure  reinforcements  to  the  garrison  of  the  Alamo. 
This  will  be  noticed  hereafter.  According  to  Dr.  Sutherland 
General  Santa  Anna  sent  a  couple  of  officers,  under  a  white  flag. 
They  were  met  by  Major  Morris  and  Captain  Martin,  at  a  foot- 
bridge on  the  river,  about  where  Commerce  street  crosses  the 
San  Antonio  river.  The  Mexican  officers  demanded  an  uncon 
ditional  surrender,  which  was  refused.  As  an  answer.  Colonel 
Travis  ordered  a  cannon  to  be  fired  at  the  part  of  town  occupied 
by  the  Mexican  troops. 

As  stated  by  Sergeant  Becerra,  Gen.  Santa  Anna  intended  to 
cross  the  river  below  town,  out  of  reach  of  the  fire  of  the  Texian 
artillery.  To  obtain  wood  for  the  construction  of  a  bridge,  he 
directed  Gen.  Castrillon  to  proceed  with  two  companies  of  the 
Matamoros  battalion  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Alamo,  and  take 
wood  from  the  houses.  Gen.  Castrillon  endeavored  to  obej'  the 
order.  He  reached  the  designated  point,  and  was  .soon  under  the 
fire  of  the  Texians.  In  a  short  while  Castrillon  reported  to  Santa 
Anna,  saying  in  substance  :  "If  you  wish  any  of  the  two  compa- 
nies of  the  battalion  to  remain  alive  you  had  better  order  them  to 
retire  at  once."  They  were  withdrawn.  Within  a  few  minutes 
they  had  lost  thirty  men.  Gen.  Castrillon  reported  having  met 
two  ladies.  The  result  of  the  annunciation  was  the  performance 
of  a  mock  marriage  ceremony — Gen.  Santa  Anna  as  groom,  and 
a  beautiful  Mexican  woman  as  bride,  and  a  rascally  Mexican 
soldier  as  priest. 

Becerra  states  :  '  Col.  Mora  was  ordered  to  take  position  north 
and  east  of  the  Alamo  to  prevent  escape  from  the  fort." — "A 
small  fort  was  commenced  above  the  Alamo."  This  was  finished, 
but  was  not  approved  by  Gen.  Santa  Anna.  Another  fort  was 
constructed  by  Gen.  Amador,  nearer  the  Alamo,  on  the  hill  to 
the  northeast.  The  firing  from  the  Alamo  was  kept  up  with 
spirit. 

The  intention  of  Gen.  Santa  Anna  was  to  take  the  Alamo  by 
escalade  He  brought  4,000  troops  to  Texas.  He  awaited  the 
arrival  of  Gen.  Tolsa,  in  command  of  2,000  troops.  He  arrived 
on  the  3d  day  of  March.  The  t xultation  and  shouts  of  the  Mexi- 
cans on  that  day  induced  Dr.  Sutherland  to  believe  that  Santa 
Anna  came  onithat  date. 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  15 

Here  the  Doctor's  estimate  of  the  Texian  force  will  be  given: 

"The  strength  of  the  Texians  at  Bexar  now  consisted  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-two  men.  Eighty  of  these  were  a  part  of  the 
original  garrison,  who  had  not  caught  the  Matnmoros  fever  ; 
twenty-five  had  returned  with  Col.  Bowie  from  Goliad.  Colonel 
Travis  had  brought  with  him  about  twenty  ;  Colonel  Crockett 
twelve  ;  Captain  Patten  eleven.  These  detachments,  with  their 
respective  commanders,  make  the  number.  A  few  days  after  their 
concentration,  some  twenty  Mexicans  of  the  city  joined  them, 
increasing  the  number  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  two." 

Counting  the  commanders  of  these  bodies  and  the  twenty  Mex- 
icans increases  the  number  to  192.  The  idea  suggesting  itself  to 
any  sensible  man  would  be,  what  did  Gen  Santa  Anna  wait  for 
Gen.  Tolsa  for?  He  had  4,000  men.  Was  he  doubtful  of  attack- 
ing less  than  200  men  ?  An  expressive  compliment  to  the  bravery 
of  the  soldiers  of  Texas.  Texas  had  not  paid  them.  They  had 
not  been  supplied  with  medicine,  until  Dr.  Sutherland  had  been 
been  appointed  surgeon.  They  had  nothing  to  eat  but  beef  and 
corn  bread.  These  supplies  were  obtained  by  accident,  as  has 
been  seen.  There  was  a  spirit  in  these  men  that  no  earthly  power 
could  conquer.  Death  could  visit  the  body.  The  heroic  resolu- 
tion passed  hence  with  the  soul  to  another  world,  unchanged  and 
unchangeable.  The  love  of  liberty,  the  determination  to  main- 
tain it,  is  a  gift  from  God.     In  the  garrison  of  t.ie  Alamo  it  ruled. 

On  the  24th  of  February  Colonel  Travis  wrote  an  appeal  to  the 
people  of  Texas  : 

'*  COMMANDANCY  OF  THE  Alamo,  Bexar,  February  24,  1836. 

"  Fellow-Citizens  and  Compatriots:  I  am  beseiged  by  a  thou- 
sand or  more  of  the  Mexicans  under  Santa  Anna.  I  have  sus- 
tained a  continued  bombardment  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  have 
not  lost  a  man.  The  enemy  have  demanded  a  surrender  at  dis- 
cretion ;  otherwise,  the  garrison  is  to  be  put  to  the  sword  if  the 
place  is  taken.  I  have  answered  the  summons  with  a  cannon 
shot,  and  our  flag  still  waves  proudly  from  the  walls.  I  shall 
never  surrender  or  7^etreaL  Then  I  call  on  you  in  the  name  of 
liberty,  of  patriotism,  and  of  everything  dear  to  the  American 
character,  to  come  to  our  aid  with  all  dispatch.  The  enemy  are 
receiving  reinforcements  daily,  and  will  no  doubt  increase  to 
three  or  four  thousand  in  four  or  five  days.  Though  this  call 
may  be  neglected,  I   am  determined  to  sustain  my.self  as  long  as 


i6  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO. 

possible,  and  die  like  a  soldier  who  forgets  not  what  is  due  to  his 
own  honor  and  that  of  his  country.     Victory  or  death  ! 

"  W.  Barret  Travis, 
' '  Lieate)iant-Colo7iel  Cowmanding . ' ' 

"  P.  S. — The  Lord  is  on  our  side.  When  the  enemy  appeared 
in  sight,  we  had  not  three  bushels  of  corn.  We  have  since  found 
in  deserted  houses  eighty  or  ninet}'  bushels,  and  got  into  the 
walls  twenty  or  thirty  head  of  beeves.  "  T." 

Col.  Travis  was  unapprised  of  Santa  Anna's  number  ot  soldiers. 
He  spoke  of  what  he  had  seen.  Why  was  his  appeal  not  answered 
by  the  appearance  of  reinforcements  ?  The  reason  is  obvious — 
the  trouble  between  the  Governor  and  the  committee  rai.sed  to 
assist  him.  Th's  committee  had  forwarded  the  forces  of  Texas 
to  Goliad  and  San  Patricio.  They  had  as  far  as  they  could  super- 
seded Gen.  Houston  as  commander-in-chief.  At  the  same  time 
they  had  named  no  one  to  take  his  place.  Col.  Fannin  and  Col. 
Johnson  each  expected  to  be  commandant  of  the  army  to  invade 
Mexico.  Had  they  united  their  forces  they  could  have  defeated 
the  force  under  Gen.  Urrea.  He  defeated  them  in  detail.  Gov. 
Smith,  to  whom  Gen.  Houston  remained  faithful,  after  his  trouble 
with  the  committee,  granted  the  General  a  furlough  till  March 
I  St.  The  people  of  Texas  were  uncertain  what  they  should  do. 
They  did  little  during  the  period,  and  the  Alamo  fell. 

Col.  Travis  wrote  to  Col.  Fannin,  February  23d,  asking  him 
to  come  to  his  relief.  Fannin  failed  from  want  ot  transportation. 
Gen.  Santa  Anna  was  notified  of  Fannin's  effort  to  reinforce  Travis. 
On  the  29th  of  February  he  dispatched  Gen.  Sesma,  with  a  force, 
to  meet  Fannin.  The  return  of  Fannin  to  Goliad  prevented  his 
meeting  Gen.  Sesma. 

Dr.  Sutherland  and  John  W.  Smith  were  sent  to  procure  rein- 
forcements for  Col.  Travis.  They  visited  Gonzales.  There  they 
obtained  thirty-two  recruits.  These  they  conducted  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  San  Antonio.  Smith  conducted  them  to  the  Alamo, 
March  ist.  Sutherland,  still  unable  to  perform  militar}^  service, 
remained  outside. 

The  fight  continued  without  abatement.  On  the  3d  of  March 
Col.  Travis  made  his  last  appeal  for  help  to  the  President  of  the 
Convention,  which  convened  at  Washington  on  the  ist  of  the 
month.  Among  expressions  used  were  the  following  :  "  The 
blood-red  ])anners  v\hich  waved  on  the  Church  at  Bexar,  and  the 


ii  '■m  Ai&M 


-mmmMmm 


MISSION   SAN  JOSE 


ORIGIN  AND  PALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  17 

carap  above  him,  were  tokens  that  the  war  was  one  of  vengeance 
against  rebels."  To  a  friend  in  Washington  he  wrote  ;  "  Take 
care  of  my  little  boy.  If  the  country  should  be  saved,  I  may 
make  him  a  splendid  fortune  ;  but  if  the  country  should  be  lost, 
and  I  perish,  he  will  have  nothing  but  the  proud  recollection 
that  he  is  the  son  of  a  man  who  died  for  his  country." 

William  Corner  wrote  a  history  of  San  Antonio  in  which  is  pub- 
lished Sidney  Lanier's  Historical  Sketch.  He  notices  the  with- 
drawal of  the  Mexican  troops  from  the  Alamo,  March  3d.  The 
following  is  given  as  incidents  of  that  day. 

"About  two  hours  before  sunset  on  the  3rd  of  March,  1836, 
the  bombardment  suddenly  ceased,  and  the  enemy  withdrew  an 
unusual  distance.  *  "^  '-^  Colonel  Travis  collected  all  his 
effective  men  in  a  single  file,  and  taking  his  position  in  front  of 
the  centre,  he  stood  for  some  moments  apparently  speechless  from 
emotion;  then  nerving  himself  for  the  occasion,  he  addressed  them 
substantially  as  follows: 

"  'My  companions:  Stern  necessity  compels  me  to  employ  the 
few  moments  afforded  by  this  probably  brief  cessation  of  conflict, 
in  making  known  the  most  interesting,  yet  the  most  solemn, 
melancholy  and  yet  unwelcome  fact  that  humanity  can  realize. 
*  *  =^  Our  fate  is  sealed.  Within  a  few  days,  perhaps  a  very 
few  hours,  we  must  be  in  eternity  !  I  have  deceived  you  long  by 
the  promise  of  help;  but  I  crave  your  pardon,  hoping  that  after 
hearing  my  explanation  you  will  not  only  regard  my  conduct  as 
pardonable,  but  heartily  sympathize  with  me  in  my  extreme 
necessity.  *  >!<  *  j  have  continually  received  the  strongest 
assurances  of  help  from  home.  Every  letter  from  the  council, 
and  every  one  that  I  have  seen  from  individuals  at  home,  have 
teemed  with  assurances  that  our  people  were  willing,  ready  and 
anxious  to  come  to  our  relief.  *  *  =k  These  assurances  I 
received  as  facts.  "■-  -^  *  In  the  honest  and  simple  confidence 
of  my  heart  I  have  transmitted  you  these  promises  of  help  and 
my  confident  hope  of  success.  But  the  promised  help  has  not 
come,  and  our  hopes  are  not  to  be  realized.  I  have  evidently 
confided  too  much  in  the  promises  of  our  friends;  but  let  us  not 
be  in  haste  to  censure  them.  ^  *  *  Our  friends  were  evi- 
dently not  informed  of  our  perilous  condition  in  time  to  save  us. 
Doubtless  they  would  have  been  here  by  the  time  they  expected 
any  considerable  force  of  the  enemy. 


t8  origin  and  fall  01    THE  ALAMO. 

"  'My  calls  on  Colonel  Fannin  remain  unanswered,  and  my 
messengers  have  not  returned.  The  probabilities  are  that  his 
whole  command  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  or  been 
cut  to  pieces,  and  that  our  couriers  have  been  cut  off.'  [So  does 
this  brave  and  simple  soul  refuse  to  feel  any  bitterness  in  the  hour 
of  death.]  'Then  we  must  die.  -^  *  ^'-  Our  business  is  not 
to  make  fruitless  effort  to  save  our  lives,  but  to  choose  the  man- 
ner of  our  death.  But  three  modes  are  presented  to  us;  let  us 
choose  that  by  which  we  may  best  serve  our  country.  Shall  we 
surrender,  and  be  deliberately  shot  without  taking  the  life  of  a 
single  enemy?  Shall  we  try  to  cut  our  way  out  through  the 
Mexican  ranks,  and  be  butchered  before  we  can  kill  twenty  of 
our  adversaries?  I  am  opposed  to  either  method.  *  -■-  ^  Let 
us  resolve  to  withstand  our  enemies  to  the  last,  and  at  each  ad- 
vance to  kill  as  many  of  them  as  i;ossible.  And  when  at  last 
they  shall  storm  our  fortress,  let  us  kill  them  as  they  come  !  Kill 
them  as  they  scale  our  walls  !  Kill  them  as  they  leap  within  ! 
Kill  them  as  they  raise  their  weapons,  and  as  they  use  them  ! 
Kill  them  as  they  kill  our  companions  !  and  continue  to  kill  them 
as  long  as  one  of  us  shall  remain  alive  !  *  *  *  But  I  leave 
every  man  to  his  own  choice.  Should  any  man  prefer  to  sur- 
render *  *  *  or  attempt  an  escape  *  *  *  he  is  at  liberty 
to  do  so.  My  own  choice  is  to  stay  in  the  fort  and  die  for  my 
country,  fighting  as  long  as  breath  shall  remain  in  my  body.  This 
will  I  do  even  if  you  leave  me  alone.  Do  as  you  think  best;  but 
no  man  can  die  with  me  without  affording  me  comfort  in  the 
hour  of  death.' 

"  Col.  Travis  then  drew  his  sword,  and  with  the  point  traced  a 
line  upon  the  ground  extending  from  the  right  to  the  left  of  the 
file.  Then  resuming  his  positio  i  in  front  of  the  centre,  he  said  : 
'  I  now  want  every  man  who  is  determined  to  stay  here  and  die 
with  me  to  come  across  this  line.  Who  will  be  the  first  ?  March  !  ' 
The  first  respondent  was  Tapley  Holland,  who  leaped  the  line  at 
a  bound,  exclaiming,  '  I  am  ready  to  die  for  my  country-'  His 
example  was  instantly  followed   by  every  man    in   the  file,  with 

exception  of    Ro.se .     Every  sick   man  that  could  walk, 

arose  from  his  bunk,  and  tottered  across  the  line.  Col.  Bowie, 
who  could  not  leave  his  bed,  said  .  '  Boys,  I  am  not  able  to  come 
to  you,  but  I  wish  .some  of  you  would  be  so  kind  as  to  move  my 
cot  over  there.'     Four  men  in.stantly  ran  to  the  cot,  and  each  lift- 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  19 

ing  a  corner  carried  it  over.  Then  every  sick  man  that  could  not 
walk  made  the  same  request,  and  had  his  bunk  moved  in  the 
same  way. 

*'  Rose  was  deeply  affected,  but  differently  from  his  compan- 
ions. He  stood  till  every  man  but  himself  had  crossed  the  line. 
He  sank  upon  the  ground,  covered  his  face,  and  yielded  to  his 
own  reflections.  *  *  *  A  bright  idea  came  to  his  relief  ;  he 
spoke  the  Mexican  dialect  very  fluently,  and  could  he  once  get 
out  of  the  fort,  he  might  easily  pass  for  a  Mexican  and  effect  his 
escape.  He  directed  a  searching  glance  at  rhe  cot  of  Col.  Bowie. 
Col.  David  Crockett  was  leaniug  over  the  cot,  conversing  with 
its  occupant  in  an  undertone.  After  a  few  seconds  Bowie  looked 
at  Rose  and  said  :  '  You  seem  not  to  be  willing  to  die  with  us, 
Rose.'  '  No,  said  Rose,  '  I  am  not  prepared  to  die,  and  shall 
not  do  so  if  I  can  avoid  it.'  Then  Crockett  also  looked  at  him, 
and  said  :  '  You  may  as  well  conclude  to  die  with  us,  old  man, 
for  escape  is  impossible.'  Rose  made  no  reply,  but  looked  at  the 
top  of  the  wall.  '  I  have  often  done  worse  than  climb  that  wall,' 
thought  he.  Suiting  the  action  to  the  thought,  ue  sprang  up, 
seized  his  wallet  of  unwashed  clothes,  and  ascended  the  wall. 
Standing  on  its  top,  he  looked  down  within  to  take  a  last  view  of 
his  dying  friends.  They  were  now  all  in  motion,  but  what  they 
were  doing  he  heeded  not  ;  overpowered  by  his  feelings,  he  looked 
away,  and  saw  them  no  more.  -•-  *  *  He  threw  down  his 
wallet,  and  leaped  after  it.  *  *  *  He  took  the  road  which 
led  down  the  river,  around  a  bend  to  the  ford,  and  through  the 
town  by  the  church.  He  waded  the  river  at  the  ford,  and  passed 
through  the  town.  He  saw  no  person,  *  *  *  but  the  doors 
were  all  closed,  and  San  Antonio  appeared  as  a  deserted  city. 

"  After  passing  through  the  town,  he  turned  down  the  river. 
A  stillness  as  of  death  prevailed.  When  he  had  gone  about  a 
([uarter  of  a  mile  below  the  town,  his  ears  were  saluted  by  the 
thunder  of  the  bombardment,  which  was  then  renewed.  That 
thunder  continued  to  remind  him  that  his  friends  were  true  to 
their  cause,  by  a  continued  roar,  with  but  slight  intervals,  until 
a  little  before  sunrise  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  when  it  ceased, 
and  he  heard  it  no  more." 

Rose  stopped  at  the  house  of  Zuber.  His  account  of  the  inci- 
dents of  March  3d  was  published  in  the  Texas  Almanac  of  1873. 
Mr.  W.  P.  and  Mary  Ann  Zuber  are  responsible  for  its  authen- 


/ 


20  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF    THE  ALAMO. 

ticity  as  coming  from  Rose.  Thej^  affirm  that  Rose  proceeded  to 
Nacogdoches  county. 

After  the  arrival  of  Gen.  Tolza  there  was,  as  previously  stated, 
a  suspension  of  operations  for  a  time.  The  intentions  of  Gen. 
Santa  Anna  seems  to  have  been  to  allow  no  cessation  of  attack, 
and  to  allow  the  small  garrison  of  Texians  no  time  to  sleep.  They 
were  overworked,  worn  down,  almost  asleep  when  firing. 

Sergeant  Becerra  thus  describes  the  preparations  for  a  final 
assault :  "  On  the  3d  of  March  Gen.  Tolza  arrived.  The  great- 
est activity  prevailed  in  every  department.  The  plan  of  assault 
was  formed  and  communicated  to  the  commanders  of  corps,  and 
others,  on  the  5th.  On  the  same  day  ammunition,  scaling  ladders, 
etc.,  were  distributed.  Everything  was  made  ready  for  the  storm- 
ing. During  the  night  troops  were  placed  in  position  About 
three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  the  battalion  Matamoros 
was  marched  to  a  point  near  the  river,  and  above  the  Alamo.  In 
their  rear  were  two  thousand  men  under  Gen.  Cos.  Gen.  Cas- 
trillon  commanded  this  part  of  the  army.  Gen.  Tolza's  command 
held  the  ground  below  the  Alamo.  Gen.  Santa  Anna  spent  the 
night  in  the  work  near  the  Alamo.  The  troops  were  to  march  to 
the  attack  when  the  bugler  at  headquarters  sounded  the  advance. 
*    *    *    The  bugle  was  sounded  at  4  o'clock  a.  m.,  March  6,  1836. 

"  The  troops  of  Gen.  Castrillon  moved  in  silence.  They  reached 
the  fort,  planted  scaling  ladders,  and  commenced  ascending,  some 
mounted  on  the  shoulders  of  others.  A  terrible  fire  belched  from 
the  interior.  Men  fell  from  the  scaling  ladders  by  the  score,  many 
pierced  through  the  head  by  balls,  others  felled  by  clubbed  guns. 
The  dead  and  wounded  covered  the  ground.  After  half  an  hour 
of  fierce  conflict,  after  the  sacrifice  of  many  lives,  the  column  of 
Gen.  Castrillon  succeeded  in  making  a  lodgment  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  Alamo  to  the  northeast.  It  was  a  sort  of  outwork.  I 
think  it  is  now  used  as  a  lot  or  courtyard.  This  seeming  advant- 
age was  a  mere  prelude  to  the  desperate  struggle  which  ensued. 
The  doors  of  the  Alamo  building  were  barricaded  by  bags  of  sand 
as  high  as  the  neck  of  a  man  ;  the  windows  also.  On  the  top  of 
the  roofs  of  the  different  apartments  were  rows  of  sand  bags  to 
cover  the  beseiged. 

"  Our  troops,  inspired  by  success,  continued  the  attack  with 
energy  and  boldness.  The  Texians  fought  like  devils.  It  was  at 
short  range — muzzle  to  muzzle,  hand  to  hand,  musket  and  rifle, 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  21 

bayonet  and  bowie  knife — all  were  mingled  in  confusion.  Here  a 
squad  of  Mexicans,  there  a  Texian  or  two.  The  crash  of  firearms, 
the  shouts  of  defiance,  the  cries  of  the  dying  and  wounded,  made 
a  din  almost  infernal.  The  Texians  defended  desperately  every 
inch  of  the  fort — overpowered  by  numbers,  they  would  be  forced 
to  abandon  a  room.  They  would  rally  in  the  next,  and  defend 
it  until  further  resistance  became  impossible. 

"  Gen.  Tolza's  command  forced  an  entrance  at  the  door  of  the 
church  building.  He  met  the  same  determined  resistrnce  without 
and  within.  He  won  by  foice  of  numbers  and  a  great  sacrifice  of 
life. 

"  There  was  a  long  room  on  the  ground  floor.  It  was  darkened. 
Here  the  fight  was  bloody.  It  proved  to  be  the  hospital.  A  detach- 
ment of  which  I  had  command  had  captured  a  piece  of  artillery. 
It  was  placed  near  the  door  of  the  hospital,  doubly  charged  with 
grape  and  canister,  and  fired  twice.  We  entered  and  found  the 
corpses  of  fifteen  Texians.  On  the  outside  we  afterward  found 
forty-two  dead  Mexicans. 

"On  the  top  of  the  church  building  I  saw  eleven  Texians 
They  had  some  small  pieces  of  artillery  and  were  firing  on  the 
cavalry  and  on  those  engaged  in  making  the  escalade.  Their 
ammunition  was  exhausted,  and  they  were  loading  with  pieces 
OS  iron  and  nails.  The  captured  piece  was  placed  in  a  position 
to  reach  them,  doubly  charged,  and  fired  with  so  much  effect  that 
they  ceased  working  their  pieces." 

Sergeant  Becerra  was  of  opinion  that  the  last  two  men  killed 
were  Travis  and  Col.  Crockett,  though  he  admitted  he  did  not 
know  them  personally,  and  might  be  mistaken  as  to  their  identity. 

"  The  Alamo,  as  has  been  stated,  was  entered  at  daylight  ;  the 
fight  did  not  cease  'till  9  o'clock.     *     *     * 

"  Gen.  Santa  Anna  directed  Col.  Mora  to  send  out  his  cavalry 
to  bring  in  wood.  This  was  done.  The  bodies  of  the  heroic 
Texians  were  burned.  Their  remains  became  offensive.  They 
were  afterward  collected  and  buried  by  Col.  Juan  N.  Seguin. 

Sergeant  Becerra  said  : 

"There  was  an  order  to  gather  our  own  dead  and  wounded. 
It  was  a  fearful  sight.  Our  lifeless  soldiers  covered  the  ground 
surrounding  the  Alamo.  They  were  heaped  inside  the  fortress. 
Blood  and  brains  covered  the  earth  and  floors,  and  had  spattered 
the  walls.     The  ghastly  faces  of  our  comrades  met  our  gaze,  an^ 


22  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

we  removed  them  with  despondent  hearts.  Our  loss  in  front  of 
the  Alamo  was  represented  at  two  thousand  killed,  and  more  than 
three  hundred  wounded.  The  killed  were  generally  struck  on 
the  head.  The  wounds  were  in  the  neck,  or  shoulder,  seldom 
below  that.  The  firing  of  the  be.Meged  was  fearfully  precise. 
When  a  Texas  rifle  was  leveled  on  a  Mexican  he  was  considered 
as  good  as  dead.  All  this  indicates  the  dauntless  bravery  and 
the  cool  self-possession  of  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  a  hope- 
less conflict  with  an  enemy  numbering  more  than  twenty  to  one. 
They  inflicted  on  us  a  loss  ten  times  greater  than  they  sustained. 
The  victory  of  the  Alamo  was  dearly  bought.  Indeed,  the  price 
in  the  end  was  well-nigh  the  ruin  of  Mexico." 

The  number  of  Texas  dead  at  the  Alamo  was  never  accurately 
ascertained.  It  included  the  whole  number  of  the  volunteers 
beseiged.  The  number  of  Mexicans  taking  service  with  the 
Texians  was  stated  at  twenty  or  twenty-five.  These  were,  many 
of  them,  sent  out  on  various  occasions  by  Col.  Travis.  When 
divested  of  their  arms,  it  was  no  difficult  matter  to  pass  the  Mex- 
ican on  guard  without  much  scrutiny'.  Mrs.  Candelaria,  Colonel 
Bowie's  nurse,  gives  the  names  of  four  Mexican's  who  were  alive 
when  the  Alamo  fell,  or  were  killed  fighting.  Mrs.  Alsbury,  in 
her  statement,  mentions  the  killing  of  one  Mexican  after  the 
Mexicans  entered  the  Alamo.  The  Texians  lost  in  the  siege  is 
not  positively  known.     It  was  certainly  less  than  two  hundred. 

Dr.  Sutherland  endeavored  to  learn  the  exact  loss  of  the  Mexi- 
cans at  San  Antonio.     He  says  : 

"  The  messenger  who  was  sent  by  the  Navarro  family,  at  San 
Antonio,  to  Colonel  Seguin,  at  Gonzales,  four  days  after  the  fall, 
reported  the  enemy's  loss  to  have  been  about  fifteen  hundred." 
Dr.  Sutherland  visited  Gen.  Santa  Anna  after  he  was  made  pris- 
oner at  San  Jacinto.  He  questioned  Gen.  Santa  Anna's  private 
secretary  as  to  the  number  of  men  in  the  army  at  San  Antonio, 
and  the  number  killed  in  the  operations.  His  reply,  as  stated  by 
Dr.  Sutherland,  was,  "  we  brought  to  San  Antonio  five  thousand 
men,  and  lost  during  the  siege  fifteen  hundred  and  forty-four  of 
the  best  of  them.  The  Texians  fought  more  like  devil's  than 
men."  Santa  Anna  and  Almonte  were  both  present  at  the  time, 
and,  if  the  statement  had  deviated  far  from  the  truth,  for  it  cer- 
tainly derogated  Irom  their  soldierly  (qualifications)  for  them  to 
have  denied  it,  without  scrupling  to  question  the  veracty  of  their 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF    IHE  ALAMO.  23 

fellow  (prisoner.)  That  answer  was,  no  doubt,  made  by  Ramon 
Martinez  Coro,  who  signed  the  order  for  the  attack  on  the  Alamo 
March  6th.  The  gentleman  acting  as  interpreter  was  Captain 
Patten.  Gen.  Santa  Anna  and  Col.  Almonte  were  both  present, 
and  neither  of  them  denied  the  allegation.  Almonte  was  edu- 
cated in  the  United  States,  and  spoke  English  fluently. 

Dr.  Sutherland  observes-  "Ruiz  says  it  was  estimated  at 
1,600,"  speaking  ot  the  Mexican  loss.  Again,  speaking  of  one 
charge  made  by  the  Toluca  battalion,  he  says:  "They  com- 
menced to  scale  the  walls  and  suffered  severely.  Out  of  8jo  men 
130  only  were  left  alive."  Dr.  Sutherland  argues  that  670  were 
killed  out  of  800  men  ;  1,600  slain  in  all  would  be  no  exaggera- 
tion. The  writer  came  to  Texas  in  1836.  There  were  then  in 
San  Augustine  county  Mexicans  who  were  made  prisoners  at  San 
Jacinto.  They  represented  the  Mexican  loss  at  the  Alamo  at 
2,500.     They  may  have  meant  the  killed  and  wounded. 

Before  referring  to  matters  pertaining  to  Texians,  the  order  of 
General  Santa  Anna  to  attack  tbe  Alamo,  by  scaling  the  walls, 
will  be  given.  It  may  show  that  Sergeant  Becerra's  memory  was 
defective  in  some  particulars,  but  is  more  a  corroboration  of  his 
version  than  a  denial. 

"GENERAL  ORDERS.  " 

[For  the  private  information  of  Generals  of  Division  and  Corps 
Commanders.] 

"As  it  becomes  necessary  to  make  a  decisive  movement  against 
the  enemy  defending  the  fortress  of  the  Alamo,  His  Excellency, 
the  General-in-Chief,  directs  that  by  four  o'clock  on  to-morrow 
morning  the  attacking  columns  shall  be  stationed  within  gunshot 
of  their  first  line  of  intrenchments,  for  the  purpose  of  making  the 
assault,  upon  the  signal  to  be  given  by  His  Excellency,  which 
will  be  the  sounding  of  the  bugle  from  the  north  battery. 

"The  first  column  will  be  commanded  by  General  Don  Martin 
Perfecto  de  Cos,  and  in  his  default,  by  me,  (the  Commander-in- 
Chiet).  This  column  will  be  composed  of  the  Aldamas  battalion 
of  regulars,  with  the  exception  of  the  company  of  Grenadiers,  and 
the  three  first  companies  of  the  volunteer  battalion  of  San  Euis. 

"The  second  column  will  be  commanded  by  General  Don  Fran- 
cisco Duque,  and  in  his  default,  by  General   Don   Manuel   Fer- 


24-  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

nando  Castrillon.  This  column  will  be  composed  of  the  three 
remaining  companies  of  the  San  Luis  battalion  of  volunteers. 

"The  third  column  will  be  commanded  by  Colonel  Don  Jose 
Maria  Romero,  and  in  his  default,  by  Colonel  Don  Mariano  Salas. 
This  column  will  be  composed  of  the  infantry  companies,  in  full 
force,  of  the  Matamoros  and  Jimenes  battalions  of  regulars. 

"The  fourth  column  will  be  commanded  by  Colonel  Don  Juan 
Morelos,  and  in  his  default,  by  Colonel  Don  Jose  Minon.  This 
column  will  be  composed  of  the  cavalry  companies  of  the  Mata- 
moros and  Jimenes  battalions  of  regulars,  and  the  San  Luis  bat- 
talion of  volunteers. 

"The  General-in-Chief  will,  at  the  proper  time,  designate  the 
points  against  which  the  attacking  columns  will  operate,  at  which 
time  commanding  officers  will  also  receive  their  orders. 

"The  reserve  will  be  composed  of  the  battalion  of  Sappers 
and  Miners,  and  the  five  companies  of  the  Grenadiers  of  the 
Matamoros,  Jimenes  and  Aldamas  battalions  of  regulars,  and  of 
the  Toluca  and  San  Luis  battalions  of  volunteers. 

"The  reserve  will  be  commanded  by  the  General-in-Chief  in 
person,  at  the  time  of  making  the  attack,  but  these  forces  will 
be  organized  by  Colonel  Don  Agustin  Amat,  under  whose  control 
they  will  remain  from  this  evening,  and  who  will  conduct  them 
to  the  point  which  will  be  designated  to  him  at  the  proper   time. 

"The  first  column  will  be  provided  with  ten  scaling  ladders, 
two  crow  bars  and  two  axes;  the  second  will  be  provided  with  the 
same  quantity;  the  third  with  six,  and  the  fourth  with  two.  The 
men  carrying  the  ladders  will  sling  their  guns  over  their  shoul- 
ders, so  as  to  leave  them  entirely  free  to  place  their  ladders 
wherever  they  may  be  directed. 

"Grenadier  and  cavalry  companies  will  be  supplied  with  six 
packages  of  cartridges  to  the  man,  and  to  the  infantry  companies 
four  with  two  extra  flints.  The  latter  will  be  encumbered  with 
neither  overcoats,  blankets  nor  anything  which  will  impede  the 
rapidity  of  their  movements.  During  the  day  all  caps  will  be 
provided  with  chin  straps.  Corps  commanders  will  pay  particu- 
lar attention  to  this  provision,  and  are  also  required  to  see  that 
the  men  are  provided  with  .shoes,  or  other  covering  for  their  feet. 

"The  men  composing  the  attacking  c(  lumn  will  retire  to  rest  at 
sundown,  preparatory  to  moving  at  midnight. 

"The  men  not  well  drilled  will  remain  at  their  quarters. 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  2^ 

"Arms,  particularly  bayonets,  will  be  put  in  the  best  condition. 

"When  the  moon  rises  the  riflemen  of  the  San  Luis  battalion 
of  volunteers  will  retire  to  their  quarter,  abandoning  the  points 
they  cover  along  the  line,  so  as  to  give  them  time  to  put  their 
equipage  in  readiness. 

"The  cavalry,  under  the  command  of  General  Don  Joaquin 
Ramirezy  y  Sesma,  will  occupy  the  Alameda,  and  saddle  up  at 
3  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  will  be  their  duty  to  watch  the 
camp,  and  prevent  the  escape  of  anyone  who  may  attempt  to 
do  so. 

"The  honor  of  the  nation,  and  of  the  army,  being  involved  in 
this  contest  against  the  daring  foreigners  in  our  front.  His  Excel- 
lency, the  General-in-Chief,  expects  that  each  man  will  perform 
his  duty,  and  contribute  his  share  in  securing  a  day  of  glory  to 
his  country,  and  of  honor  to  the  Federal  Government,  which 
knows  how  to  honor  the  brave  men  of  the  army  of  operations  who 
shall  distinguish  themselves  by  performing  feats  of  valor. 

Juan  Valentine  Amador." 

"I  certify  the  foregoing  to  be  a  true  copy. 

"Ramon  Martines  Coro,  Secretary." 

"A  correct  translation.  David  G.  Whiting. 

"Translator  General  Land  Office." 

N.  B. — This  order,  Becerra  said,  was  issued  March  5,  1836, 
and  copied  next  day. 

This  was  the  order  given  by  the  President  of  Mexico,  and 
commander  ot  her  armies,  to  six  thousand  Mexicans,  the  elite  of 
the  Mexican  army,  who  had  been  besieging  less  than  two  hun- 
dred Texians  for  thirteen  days.     It  speaks  for  itself. 

On  March  7th  General  Santa  Anna  issued  a  "  Proclamation," 
in  which  he  speaks  of  the  immolation  of  the  Texians  as  a  matter 
of  justice,  and  argues  that  the  "Army  of  Operations"  has  been 
marched  into  Texas  for  the  performance  of  such  deeds. 


z6  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 


REMARKS. 


Colonel  Bowie  had  been  ordered  by  General  Houston  to  proceed 
to  Goliad  and  adjacent  points,  and  confer  with  officers  in  com- 
mand. General  Houston's  intention  were  to  withdraw  the  Texian 
forces  from  advanced  positions  and  concentrate  them,  with  the 
object  of  meeting  and  defeating  the  Mexican  army  of  invasion 
which  was  believed  to  be  advancing  upon  Texas.  After  the  per- 
formance of  that  duty  he  proceeded  to  San  Antonio,  where  he 
resided.  On  the  nth  or  12th  of  February,  1836,  Colonel  Neill 
left  San  Antonio,  accompanied  by  Deaf  Smith.  William  Barrett 
Travis,  L,ieutenant  Colonel  of  the  regular  army  of  Texas,  was 
deputed  to  the  command.  The  volunteers  on  duty  at  San  Antonio 
objected  to  be  commanded  by  a  regular  officer.  Colonel  Travis, 
with  a  sincere  desire  to  promote  the  public  good,  ordered  an  elec- 
tion.    Colonel  Bowie  was  the  choice  of  the  men. 

On  February  14th  a  general  report  was  made  to  Governor 
Smith,  which  concludes  as  follows:  "By  an  understanding  of 
to-day,  Col.  J.  Bowie  has  command  of  the  volunteers  and  Col. 
W.  B.  Travis  of  the  regulars  and  volunteer  cavalry.  All  general 
orders  and  correspondence  will  be,  henceforth,  signed  by  both 
until  Col.  Neill's  return.  James  Bowie, 

"  W.  Barrett  Travis,  Commander  of  Volunteers." 

"  Commander  of  Cavalry." 

[Col,  Seth  Shephard's  oration  on  the  "Fall  of  the  Alamo," 
San  Marcos,  July  8th,",  1889.] 

James  Butler  Bonham  had  been  a  schoolmate  of  Col.  Travis  ; 
he  was  one  of  the  messengers  sent  to  Col.  Fannin  by  Col.  Travis 
asking  for  help.  After  the  performance  of  that  duty  he  delayed 
returning  to  the  Alamo  until  March  id.  According  to  Hon. 
Seth  Shephard,  Bonham  declined  to  remain  outside  San  Antonio. 
He  affirmed  :  ':  I  will  report  the  result  of  my  mission  to  Travis, 
01^  die  in  the  attempt. "  "  Mounted  on  a  cream-colored  hor.se,  with 
a  white  handkerchief  floating  from  his  hat — a  signal  previously 
arranged  with  Travis — he  dashed  through  the  Mexican  lines 
amid  a  shower  of  bullets,  and  entered  unharmed  the  gates  which 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  27 

were  thrown  open  to  receive  him.  Unable  to  save  his  comrades, 
he  was  determined  to  die  with  them." 

Col.  Bowie  fell  sick  in  the  early  part  of  the  siege.  Mrs.  Can- 
delaria  was  his  attendant.  He  died  with  unfaltering  courage. 
A  Mexican  gentleman  told  Mrs.  Sam  Maverick  that  his  body  was 
hoisted  on  Mexican  bayonets  until  a  Mexican  officer  ordered 
them  to  desist. 

Mrs.  Dr.  Alsbury  and  her  little  sister  were  in  the  Alamo  when 
it  fell.  A  Mexican  defender  of  the  Alamo  was  bayone'cted  while 
clinging  to  her  for  help,  and  to  avoid  death.  She  was  carried  off 
by  the  brother  of  her  first  husband.  Her  son,  then  small,  is  yet 
in  San  Antonio.  , 

Mrs.  Dickinson  was  allowed  to^  leave  the  town.  Her  young 
child,  afterwards  styled  "  The  Daughter  of  the  Alamo,"  was  her 
companion.     They  are  both  dead. 

Dr.  Sutherland  tells  us  something  of  Col.  Crockett:  '  Colonel 
David  Crockett  arrived,  *  *  *  with  twelve  others,  direct 
from  Tennessee.  Crockett  was  immediately  offered  a  command 
by  Col.  Travis,  and  called  upon  by  the  crowd  for  a  speech.  The 
former  honor  he  would  not  accept  ;  but  mounted  a  goods-box 
on  the  civil  plaza,  amid  prolonged  cheers  of  the  people.  The 
applause,  however,  was  followed  by  profound  silence,  when  the 
full-toned  voice  of  the  distinguished  speaker  rose  gradually  above 
the  audience  and  fell  smooth  and  lively  upon  the  ears  of  all  ;  its 
sound  was  familiar  to  many  who  had  heard  it  in  days  past,  while 
the  hearts  of  all  beat  a  lively  response  to  the  patriotic  sentiments 
which  fell  from  his  lips.  Eloquent  applause  greeted  him,  as  he 
related  in  his  own  peculiar  style,  some  of  those  jolly  anecdotes 
with  which  he  often  regaled  his  friends,  and  which  he  only  could 
tell  wilh  appropriate  grace.  He  alluded  frequently  to  his  past 
career,  and  during  the  course  of  his  remarks  stated  that  not  long 
since  he  had  been  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  his  native  district, 
and  that  during  the  canvass  he  told  his  constituents  that  'if  they 

did  not  elect  him,  they  might  all   go  to  h ,  and  he  would  go 

to  Texas.'  After  which  he  concluded,  in  substance,  as  follows  : 
'And  fellow-citizens,  I  am  among  you.  I  hav.:  come  to  your 
country,  though  I  hope,  not  with  any  selfish  motive  whatever. 
I  have  come  to  aid  you  all  that  I  can  in  youi  noble  cause.  I 
shall  identify  jnyself  with  your  interests,  and  all  the  honor  that  I 


28  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

desire  is  that  of  defending  as  a  high  private,  in  common  with  my 
fellow-citizens,  the  liberties  of  our  common  country.'  " 

As  long  as  liberty  has  a  follower  the  names  of  Crockett  and 
the  other  defenders  of  the  Alamo  will  have  an  admirer.  Their 
unselfish  and  undaunted  heroism  confers  upon  them  the  immortal 
remembrance  of  the  lovers  of  freedom.  The  affair  of  the  Alamo 
caused  intense  excitement  in  the  United  States,  in  fact,  through- 
out the  civilized  world.  An  Englishman,  named  Nagle,  had  the 
honor  of  originating  the  "  Monument  Erected  to  the  heroes  of  the 
Alamo."  It  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  Capitol  at  Austin.  This 
building  was  burned  in  1880,  and  the  monument  suffered  injury. 
On  the  top  of  each  front  were  the  names  of  Travis,  Bowie,  Crock- 
ett and  Bonham.  The  inscription  on  the  north  front  was  :  ''To 
The  God  Of  The  Fearless  And  The  Free  Is  Dedicated  This  Altar 
Of  The  ALAMO."  On  the  west  front :  "  Blood  of  Heroes  Hath 
Stained  me.  Let  The  Stones  of  The  ALAMO  Speak,  That  Their 
IMMOLATION  Be  Not  FORGOTTEN."  On  the  south  front: 
'•  Be  They  Enrolled  With  Leonidas  In  The  Ho.st  Of  The  Mighty 
Dead."  On  the  ea.st  front :  "Thermopylae  Had  Her  Messenger 
of  Defeat,  But  The  ALAMO  Had  NONE." 

Mrs.  Maverick  and  Mrs.  Canterbury,  at  that  time  Mrs.  Wilson 
I.  Riddle,  both  were  acquainted  with  Mr.  Nagle,  and  speak 
kindly  of  him.  He  received  from  the  Legislature  of  Texas  a 
small  consideration  for  the  monument,  and  is  since  dead.  His 
memory  should  be  honored  by  every  friend  of  Texas. 

Sergeant  Becerra  was  made  a  prisoner  at  San  Jacinto.  In  the 
war  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States  he  was  in  the  service 
of  the  latter.  When  he  died  he  was  a  Mexican  veteran  of  the 
United  States. 

Colonel  Travis'  son  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Texas. 
He  was  a  captain  in  the  regular  army  of  the  United  States,  and 
belonged  to  the  regiment  commanded  by  Col.  Sydney  Johnson. 
He  had  a  daughter  also.     She  was  living  some  years  ago. 

After  the  fall  of  the  Alamo  there  were  thirty-three  wives  left 
widows  in  Gonzales. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Smith  was  highly  respected  by  the  Texians.  He 
died  while  a  member  of  Congress  at  Washington,  on  the  Brazos 
river.  He  is  worthy  of  consideration  as  one  of  the  tried  and  true 
friends  of  Texas  in  her  days  of  peril. 

Dr.  Sutherland  lived  many  years  after  the  revolution  of  1836, 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  2^ 

He  was  honored  by  all  as  one  of  the  able  and  trusted  men  who 
served  his  country  with  zeal  and  fidelity  when  her  cause  appeared 
almost  hopeless.      He  died  full  of  years  and  full  of  honors. 

Mrs.  Candelaria  is  till  living.  She  claims  to  be  over  one  hun- 
dred years  of  ag:r.  The  State  of  Texas  has  granted  her  a  pension. 

However,  want  of  space  prevents  the  mention  of  many  who 
performed  important  services  to  Texas  in  the  days  of  trial  and 
adversity. 

Captain  Reuben  M.  Potter,  U.  S.  A.,  retired,  was  an  efiicient 
friend  of  the  Republic  of  Texas.  In  the  days  of  gloom  he  wrote 
the  "  Hymn  of  the  Alamo,"  and  predicted  the  success  of  her 
cause,  which  is  herewith  presented  : 

"Rise  !  mau  the  wall — our  clarion's  blast 

Now  sounds  its  final  reveille — 
This  dawning  morn  must  be  the  last 

Our  fated  band  shall  ever  see. 
To  life,  but  not  to  hope,  farewell  ; 

Your  trumpet's  clang,  and  cannon's  peal, 
And  storming  shout,  at  d  clash  of  steel 

Is  ours,  but  not  our  country's  knell. 
Welcome  the  Spartan's  death  — 

'Tis  no  despairing  strife — 
We  fall — we  die — but  our  expiring  breath 

Is  freedom's  breath  of  life. 

"  'Here  on  this  new  Thermopylae 

Our  monument  shall  tower  on  high, 
And  'Alamo'  hereafter  be 

On  bloodier  fields  the  battle  cry.' 
Thus  Travis  from  the  rampart  cried. 

And  when  his  warriors  saw  the  foe 
Like  whelming  billows  move  below. 

At  once  each  dauntless  heart  replied  : 
'Welcome  the  Spartan's  death — 

'Tis  no  despairing  strife — 
We  fall — we  die — but  our  expiring  breath 

Is  freedom's  breath  of  life. 

"They  come — like  autumn  leaves  they  fall 

Yet  hordes  on  hordes  they  onward  rush  ; 
With  gory  tramp  they  mount  the  wall 

Till  numbers  the  defenders  crush. 
The  last  was  felled — the  fight  to  gain — 

Well  may  the  ruffians  quake  to  tell 
How  Travis  and  his  hundred  fell 

Amid  a  thousand  foemen  slain. 
They  died  'he  vSpartan's  death. 

But  not  in  hopeless  strife  ; 
L/ike  brothers  died — and  their  expiring  breath 

Was  freedom's  breath  of  life. 

The  convention  of  Texas  met  at  Washington,  on  the  Brazos, 
March  i,  1836.     On  the  second  day   of  that  month  they  i.ssued 


JO  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

a  declaration  of  independence.  They  formed  a  constitution, 
elected  David  G.  Burnet  provisional  president,  Lorenzo  de  Zavala 
vice-president.  They  also  pronounced  Sam  Houston  general- in- 
chief  of  the  Texas  army.  President  Burnet  appointed  the  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  as  his  cabinet  : 

Samuel  P.  Carson Secretary  of  State 

Bailey  Hardeman Secretary  of  the  Treasury 

Thomas  J.  Rusk Secretary  of  War 

Robert  Potter Secretary  of  the  Navy 

David  Thomas  Attorney  General 

They  adjourned,  and  many  of  the  members  proceeded  at  once 
to  the  Texas  army. 

On  the  2ist  day  of  April,  1836,  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  was 
fought.  General  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna,  president  of  Mexico, 
and  commander-in-chief  of  her  army,  was  made  a  prisoner  of  war. 
He  recognized  the  independence  of  Texas.  The  balance  of  the 
Mexican  army,  in  accordance  with  its  stipulations,  was  permitted 
to  march  out  of  Texas  unmolested.  Mexico  received  the  benefits 
of  the  treaty,  and  according  to  the  laws  of  nations  could  not  go 
back  on  that  agreement,  inuring  to  her  benefit.  Texas  became 
sovereign,  free  and  independent  by  reason  of  that  treaty. 

SAN   ANTONIO   EVENTS. 

In  the  papers  preserved  at  San  Antonio  is  an  account  of  a 
visit  to  the  place  of  LaFitte,  the  celebrated  pirate.  He  was 
placed  in  confinement,  and  alterwards  liberated.  General  X.  B. 
Debray  translated  the  document.  The  General  published  the 
account  several  years  since. 

Below  are  given  some  notices  of  events  without  regard  to  the 
date. 

During  the  contest  of  the  Mexican  revolution,  there  were 
operations  near  San  Antonio.  In  18 12,  Lieut.  Magee,  late  of  the 
United  States  army,  conveyed  a  force  into  Texas.  He  assumed 
the  rank  of  colonel.  He  captured  La  Bahia-Goliad.  He  died 
there.  Major  Kemper  succeeded  him.  He  marched  to  San 
Antonio  at  the  head  of  1500  men.  Gen.  Salcedo,  with  a  force  of 
2500  men,  met  him  on  the  Salado,  about  nine  miles  from  town, 
where  a  fight  occurred.  The  Americans  were  successful,  losing 
only  a  few  men.  The  Imperials  lost  more  than  1000,  with  all 
their  camp  equipage.     This  engagement  occurred  about  March 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO  31 

28,  1813.  The  next  day  Col.  Kemper  entered  San  Antonio. 
Fourteen  officers  of  rank  were  made  prisoners.  Gen.  Bernardo, 
who  was  ostensibly  in  command  of  the  revolutionists,  now 
assumed  more  authority.  He  ordered  Capt.  Delgado  to  escort 
these  officers  to  the  coast,  where  it  was  pretended  a  vessel  lay, 
where  they  were  to  embark  for  New  Orleans. /•  Delgado  proceeded 
a  few  miles  from  the  city,  where  he  massacred  these  officers  in 
cold  blood.  This  criminal  act  was  the  cause  of  profound  dis- 
approval by  the  Americans.  Colonel  Kemper  and  Major  Ross 
resigned  and  left  Texas.  It  was  ascertained  that  Gen.  Bernardo 
had  authorized  Capt.  Delgado  to  commit  the  barbarous  tragedy, 
and  he  was  relieved  from  command. 

Captain  Perry  assumed  command  of  the  Americans.  General 
Klizondo,  who  betrayed  Hidalgo  to  the  Spaniards,  entered  Texas 
with  about  3000  men.  He  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  San  Antonio, 
dispersed  and  killed  many  of  the  guard  in  charge  of  the  Ameri- 
can horses,  yet  failed  to  enter  the  city.  Elizondo  encamped  on 
the  Alazau  creek,  and  had  erected  two  bastions.  The  Ameri- 
cans decided  on  a  plan  of  battle.  On  the  night  of  October  4, 
1815,  they  marched  out  of  town  and  attacked  the  Royalists  early 
in  the  morning  while  prayers  were  being  said.  After  several 
hours  of  hard  fighting  the  Spaniards  fled,  having  lost  a  thousand 
in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners ;  American  loss,  forty-.seven 
killed  and  the  same  number  wounded,  most  of  whom  died. 

Just  after  this  affair  General  Toledo,  a  Cuban,  arrived  and 
took  command.  He  organized  a  governing  junta,  appointed 
civil  officers  and  restored  the  reign  of  law  and  order. 

Gen.  Elizondo  retreated  in  the  direction  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
Gen.  Arredondo  was  commandant  of  that  section.  He  united  his 
forces  with  those  of  Elizondo  and  set  out  for  San  Antonio,  South 
of  the  Medina  river  he  threw  up  a  breastwork  in  the  form  of  a 
capital  A,  the  open  part  facing  San  Antonio.  In  advance  of  this 
he  placed  some  men.  The  republicans  came — attacked  the  ad- 
vance. They  charged  the  advance,  pursued  them  into  the  forks 
of  the  work,  where  the  Spaniards  opened  a  terrific  fire  upon  them 
from  each  side  of  their  works.  Gen.  Toledo  had  unfortunately 
placed  the  Americans  upon  the  right  and  left  wings  of  his  army. 
After  discovering  the  trap  he  had  entered.  Gen.  Toledo  ordered  a 
retreat.  The  American  left  wing  obeyed,  but  the  right  wing  re- 
fused, saying  "they  never  retreated."     These  men  continued  to 


j2  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

fight.  "They  performed  progidies  of  valor."  In  the  unequal 
contest  nearly  all  of  them  were  killed.  The  retreating  column 
was  pursued  by  the  Spanish  cavalry,  and  many  of  them  were 
butchered.  The  retreat  was  continued  across  Texas.  Seventy 
or  eighty  republicans  surrendered  at  Spanish  Bluff,  on  Trinity 
river.  They  were  inhumanly  butchered.  "Only  ninety-three 
Americans  succeeded  in  reaching  Nacogdoches."  This  was  the 
end  of  the  American  campaign  in  Texas  in  1812  and  1813. 
Arredondo  treated  the  people  of  Bexar  with  much  cruelty — tried 
to  confiscate  property,  forced  ladies  to  cook  for  soldiers,  and 
mistreated  men. 

An  American,  George  Antonio  Nixon,  who  came  to  San  An- 
tonio at  an  early  day,  affirmed  that  the  day  he  arrived  a  swarm 
of  bees  settled  on  the  Catholic  church  in  the  Main  Plaza.  He 
said  many  Mexicans  asserted  that  the  North  Americans  would 
soon  follow  the  bees.  He  seemed  to  believe  that  the  Mexicans 
of  this  section  generally  entertained  that  opinion.  He  died  in 
San  Augustine  many  years  ago. 

During  18 19  General  Long  entered  Texas.  He  established  a 
provisional  government  at  Nacogdoches — declared  Texas  an  in- 
dependent republic.  He  sought  L,aFitte's  assistance,  and  failed 
to  obtain  it.  He  eventually  conducted  an  expedition  to  La 
Bahia,  which  'he  captured.  From  this  period  his  history  is 
problematical.  He  was  carried  to  the  City  of  Mexico  where  he 
was  assassinated.  His  wife  remained  at  Point  Bolivar  many 
months  awaiting  his  return.  The  morning  and  evening  guns 
were  fired  with  regularity.  Eventually  her  friends  informed  her 
of  the  General's  fate,  and  relieved  her.  She  was  a  lady  of  fine 
accomplishments  and  great  bravery. 

In  1 83 1,  Colonel  Bowie,  in  charge  of  nine  men  and  two  ser- 
vants, formed  a  party  to  visit  a  silver  mine  near  the  head  of  San 
Saba  river.  While  on  the  way  they  were  informed  by  Isaonie,  a 
chief  of  the  Comanches,  that  a  large  party  of  Wacoes  and  Two- 
wokanas  were  following  them,  determined  to  take  their  scalps. 
The  Americans  moved  on.  They  had  arrived  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  San  Saba  river.  They  were  preparing  to  break  camp  when 
they  were  saluted  by  the  war  whoop  by  one  hundred  and  sixty-four 
Indians.  Arrangements  were  promptly  made  for  defense.  A 
terrific  resistance  was  made.  Many  Indians  were  killed.  They 
fired  the  grass,  but  with  no  good  effect.     During  the  burning  of 


JM;- 


fr?"*" 


r 


\ 


SAN   ANTONIO   IN    1853. 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO.  33 

the  grass  they  removed  their]dead.  That  night  they  cried  over 
their  dead.  The  next  morning  they  carried  them  to  a  cave  a 
mile  off.  They  then  left.  Their  loss  was  reported  to  be  eighty- 
one  killed  and  wounded  ;  American  loss,  one  man  killed,  three 
wounded  ;  one  horse  killed,  three  wounded. 

They  remained  in  camp  about  eight  days,  taking  care  of  the 
wounded,  then  marched  slowly  for  home.  Mr.  Hamm,  one  of 
the  party,  over  eighty  years  of  age,  described  the  fight  to  the 
writer.  They  reached  San  Antonio  after  nightfall.  The  people 
had  concluded  they  had  been  killed.  When  it  was  ascertained 
that  Col.  Bowie  and  party  had  returned,  the  people  were  rejoiced. 
They  illuminated  the  place  and  did  all  they  could  to  welcome 
the  visitors. 

Gen.  Sam  Houston  came  to  Texas  in  1832.  He  was  advised 
to  come  by  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson.  He  appears  to  have  bad 
authority  as  an  agent  to  the  Cherokee  and  other  United  States 
Indians. 

In  February,  1840,  the  Comanche  Indians  were  requested  to 
meet  the  Texas  Secretary  of  War,  Gen.  A.  S.  Johnson  and  others 
at  San  Antonio.  They  agreed  to  bring  with  them  thirteen  white 
captives.  They  came,  and  brought  but  one.  Miss  Lockhart. 
She  told  they  had  others  in  their  camps.  The  Americans  very 
candidly  told  the  Comanche  chiefs  they  would  have  to  bring  in 
the  other  prisoners,  comply  with  their  words,  before  they  could 
or  would  be  liberEted.  The  Comanches  seemed  to  talk  with 
bravado  and  defiantly.  The  company  of  Capt.  Tom  Howard  was 
marched  into  the  council  room.  The  Comanches  were  told  they 
would  be  held  as  prisoners  until  the  other  prisoners  were  brought 
in.  The  Comanches  began  fighting  at  once.  The}'  wounded 
Capt.  Howard.  The  fight  became  general.  Thirty-two  warriors, 
three  women  and  two  children  were  killed.  Twent3'-seven 
women  and  children  were  made  prisoners.  Texian  loss,  seven 
killed  and  eight  wounded.  A  Comanche  woman  afterwards 
braught  in  six  or  seven  prisoners.  This  affair  was  preceded  by  a 
long  and  bloody  war. 

On  August  ID,  1840,  the  battle  of  Plum  Creek  was  fought; 
from  fiftygto  eighty  Comanches  killed.  Texians  commanded  by 
General  Felix  Houston.  Captain  Ben  McCulloch  deserves  great 
credit  for  preparing  the  citizens  to  attack  the  Indians.      In  that 


34-  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

engagement  a  man  shot  a  squaw,  and  exclaimed:  "By  jingo  !  I 
am  thinning  them  now." 

In  1841  Captain  John  C.  Hays  began  gaining  distinction  as  a 
successful  commander.  He  was  situated  near  San  Antonio,  and 
was  the  defender  of  the  southern  and  western  frontier.  On  April 
7,  1841,  he  defeated  the  Mexicans  near  lyaredo. 

March  5,  1842,  General  Rafael  Vazquez  sent  Colonel  Corazco  to 
demand  the  surrender  of  San  Antonio.  The  reply  was  promised 
the  next  day  by  two  o'clock,  through  Mr.  Van  Ness  and  Mr. 
Morris.  Meantime,  Capt.  Hays  and  company  had  concluded  to 
retreat  upon  the  Guadalupe.  Vasquez  came  into  the  city.  Con- 
siderable private  property  was  taken  by  private  soldiers.  A  goodly 
number  of  Mexican  citizens  left  San  Antonio  with  the  invaders. 
They  remained  but  two  days. 

April  II,  1842,  Gen.  Adrian  WoU  entered  San  Antonio  at  the 
head  of  1200  men.  Capt.  Hays  had  retired  to  the  Salado,  about 
eight  miles  distant-  Capt.  Matthew  Caldwell,  with  eighty  men, 
joined  Hays.  The  latter  was  sent  to  San  Antonio  to  entice  Gen. 
Woll  to  pursue  him.  WoU  advanced  with  800  men,  and  found 
Caldwell  on  the  creek  with  220  men.  Woll  attacked  Caldwell 
about  eleven  o'clock.  At  sundown  he  retired,  sustaining  an  esti- 
mated loss  of  sixty  killed  and  sixty  wounded  ;  Texian  loss,  one 
killed  and  nine  wounded.  Capt.  Dawson,  of  lya  Grange,  Texas, 
in  command  of  53  men,  was  marching  to  assist  Col.  Caldwell. 
He  was  attacked  by  a  portion  of -Gen.  Woll's  command.  He 
halted  his  men  in  a  grove  of  mesquite  bushes.  The  enemy  used 
artillery.  Capt.  Dawson  sent  out  a  white  flag.  It  was  disre- 
garded, and  fired  on.  Thirty-two  of  Dawson's  men  were  killed, 
fifteen  surrendered  ;  many  were  wantonly  butchered  after  they 
yielded  themselves  prisoners  of  war. 

Many  men  were  hurrying  to  the  scene  of  conflict.  Gen.  Woll 
seemed  to  appreciate  the  fact.  He  ordered  his  baggage  to  leave 
for  Mexico  that  night.  The  command  followed  the  next  morn- 
ing, April  1 8th.  He  acquired  considerable  plunder,  and  several 
Mexicans  abandoned  Texas  and  went  with  him. 

Gen.  Woll  made  63  prisoners  at  San  Antonio,  many  of  them 
men  of  distinction.  Among  them  were  Colonel  Sam  Maverick, 
Judge  Hutchinson,  Major  Colquhon,  Judge  William  E.  Jones, 
Wilson  I  and  John  Riddle,  John  Twohig,  Pat  Morgan,  Dr.  Booker, 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF    THE  ALAMO.  33 

Dr.  McKay,  John  Howard  and  other  gentlemen  of  respectability 
and  influence. 

Colonel  Caldwell's  force  was  then  increased  to  about  500  men. 
His  intention  was  to  force  Gen,  Woll  to  fight.  It  was  unfor- 
tunately the  fact  that  ambitious  men  desired  to  command.  They 
converted  the  expedition  into  an  electioneering  hubbub  ;  let  Gen. 
Woll  escape,  after  Capt.  Hays  had  attacked  and  captured  one  of 
his  batteries.  Colonel  Caldwell  had  done  exceedingly  well  and 
merited  the  command. 

"COLT'S  SIX -SHOOTERS.  " 

The  five-shooters,  the  invention  of  Col.  Colt,  were  offered  to 
the  public  some  time  before  they  were  recognized  and  adopted  as 
the]^best' firearm  of  that  class  then  in  existence.  Few  were  sold, 
and  the  inventor  was  losing  heart.  Mr.  Swante  Swinson,  in  early 
days  a  merchant  in  Austin.  Texas,  and  since  a  banker  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  was  a  friend  of  Col.  Colt.  He  made  him  a 
present  of  two  five-shooters.  Mr.  vSwinson  had  the  good  sense  to 
discover^  their  value.  He  was  instrumental  in  procuring  their 
delivery  to  Capt.  Hays.  He  approved  them.  The  then  govern- 
ment of  the -Republic  of  Texas  procured  a  supply  of  the  pistols 
and  armed  Ha5^s'  rangers. 

In  1844  Hays  had  a  command  of  about  fourteen  men  on  a  small 
creek,  probably  thirty  miles  above  San  Antonio.  He  discovered 
in  his  neighborhood  a  command  of  seventy-five  Comanches.  They 
were  waiting  for  an  advantage  to  attack.  Hays  was  too  adroit 
to  give  them  that  advantage.  They  formed  on  a  hill.  He  gal- 
loped around  it  and  attacked  them  in  the  rear.  The  Indians 
charged  them.  They  formed  in  a  circle  and  used  both  rifle  and 
pistol.  The  Comanches  used  their  lances.  They  were  greatly 
surprised  at  the  repeating  pi.stols.  They  moved  off,  followed  by 
the  indomitable  rangers.  On  two  occasions  the  chief  induced 
them  to  charge  again.  He  was  making  a  third  effort  when  Gil- 
lespie shot  him.  The  Indians  retreated  in  wild  confusion.  Capt. 
Gillespie  was  killed  in  the  fight  at  Monterey.  Sam  Walker,  after- 
wards a  colonel  in  Mexico,  and  killed  at  Huamantla,  was  wounded 
also.  Many  others  were  slightly  hurt.  The  Comanches  suffered 
a  loss  of  thirty-five.  This  engagement  placed  the  Colt's  five- 
shooter  in  general  notice  and  high  esteem. 

Col.  Sam  Walker,  during  the   Mexican  war,  visited  Col,  Colt. 


j6  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 

He  was  reported  to  have  recommended  a  larger  weapon  than  the 
five-shooter.  When  Col.  Hays'  regiment  reached  Vera^Cruz,  in 
Mexico,  in  the  fall  of  1847,  there  they  found  a  supply  of  six- 
shooters,  and  his  command  was  armed  with  them.  The  soldiers, 
some  of  them,  were  unacquainted  with  them  and  suffered  some 
accidents.  The  writer  remembers  one  man  wounding  his  own 
foot,  another  killing  his  own  horse,  and  so  on. 

John  S.  Ford,  One  of  the  Committee. 


In  addition  to  the  foregoing,   your  committee  have  concluded 
to  add  the  annexed  : 

The  points  occupied  by  the  Mexican  forces  during  the  siege 
of  the  Alamo,  particularly  on  the  morning  of  March  6,  1836,  are 
of  interest.  A  fort  was  built  northeast  of  the  Alamo,  which  was 
situated,  probably,  on  what  is  now  known  as  Dignowity  Hill.  ' 
This  conclusion  is  .strengthened  by  the  fact  that  in  making  im- 
provements on  that  hill  cannon  balls  and  other  articles  of  that 
character  were  found.  These  balls  may  have  been  thrown  from 
the  Alamo.  It  is  probable  that  the  present  site  of  the  street, 
Avenue  C,  was  included  by  the  troops  occupying  that  fort.  The 
cavalry  were  stationed  at  the  foot  of  what  was  then  known  as 
Powder  House  Hill  to  prevent  escapes  from  the  Alamo.  That 
section  is  now  covered  by  graveyards.  The  Mexicans  moved  in 
four  columns  when  they  made  the  final  attack.  Of  course,  they 
advanced  from  four  different  points. 

The  people  and  the  Legislature  have  endeavored  to  honor  the 
memory  of  the  men  who  were  prominently  engaged  in  defense  of 
the  country.  The  capital  of  the  State  is  named  in  commemoration 
of  Stephen  F.  Au.stin,  the  father  of  Texas.  The  capital  of  the 
Republic  of  Texas  in  early  days  was  named  Houston,  in  honor  of 
Gen.  Sam  Houston,  the  Washington  of  Texas.  Travis,  the 
county  in  which  the  present  capital  is  located,  was  named  for 
the  disinterested  patriot,  who  sacrificed  his  life  in  the  cause  of 
Texas.  Bowie,  Bonham,  in  fact  nearly  all  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Alamo,  and  quite  all  the  men  who  di.stinguished  themselves  in 
the  service  of  the  Republic  and  the  State  of  Texas  have  been 
remembered  by  a  grateful  people. 

Among  these  is  Col.  Juan  N.  Seguin,  who  was  an  officer  at  San 
Jacinto,  and  for  whom  the  town  of  Seguin  is  named. 


ORIGIN  AND  PALL  OF  THE  ALAMO.  j/ 

The  weight  of  years,  and  in  many  instances,  the  hand  of  pov- 
erty is  laid  heavily  upon  the  old  patriots  who  nobly  aided  Texas 
in  her  days  of  infancy  and  feebleness.  Some  of  those  who  suffered, 
fought  and  talked  for  the  Lone  Star  State,  yet  live  in  San  Antonio . 
We  may  mention  :  Mrs.  Mary  Maverick,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Canter- 
bury, Mrs.  Amanda  J.  Dignowity,  Capt.  Nat  Mitchell,  a  former 
soldier  of  San  Jacinto,  William  McMasters,  veteran  of  San  Jacinto, 
Gen.  H.  P.  Bee,  Col.  John  S.  Ford,  Jacob  Golls,  Mexican  veteran, 
Mr.  George  Linswiler,  Capt.  William  Edgar,  Capt.  P.  S.  Buquor, 
formerly  mayor  of  San  Antonio,  and  a  few  others  whose  names  are 
not  remembered. 

C.  L.  Dignowity,  Chairman, 
H.  P.  Bee, 
Wm.  H.  Young. 


ss 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THE  ALAMO. 


A  list  of  the  names  of  those   who  fell   in   the  Alamo,   at  San 
Antonio  de  Bexar,  6th  March,  1836: 


NAME 


W.  Barrett  Travis.  .. 

James  Bowie 

J.   Wiishinglon 

Forsyth 

Harrison 

William  Blazeley   . . 
Wm.  C.  M.  Baker    .. 

S.  B.  Evaus 

W.  R.Carey 

S.  C.  Blair 

Gilmore 

Robert  White 

John  Jones 

J.  G.Baugh 

Robert  Evans 

Williamson. 

Charles  Despalier  . . . 

Eliel  Melton 

Atiderson.  . . 

Burwell 

Dr.  Michison 

Dr.  Amos  Pollard. 

Dr.  Thompson 

Green  B.  Jemi.son.  .. 

David  Crockett 

K.  Nelson 

NeLson  

Wm.  H.  Smith 

Lewis  Johnson 

E.  P.  Mitchell 

F.  Desanque 

Thurston... 

Moore 

Chri.stopher  Parker. 

C.  Husk  ell 

Rose 

John  Blair 

David  Wilson..   

John  M.  Hays 

Stuart 

W.  K.  Simpson 

W.  D.  Sutherland  .  . . 

Dr.  W.  Howell 

Butler 

Charles  Smith. ..   .  .. 

McGregor. . . 

Rusk 


Charles  Hawkins  .  .. 
Samuel  Holloway... 

Brown 

C.  S.  Smith 

Browne 

Kedeson 

Wm.  Wells 

Wm.  Cummings 

Voluntine. . . 

Cockran 

«.  W.  Valentine 

S.  Holloway 

Isaac  White 

Day 

Robert  Muselman.  .. 
Robert  Crossman..    . 

Richard  Starr 

J.  G.  Garrett 

James  Dimkin 

Rebel  t  B.  Moore 

Wm.  Ivinii 

Hutchinson. 

Will.  Johnson 

E.  Nelson 

Geo.  Tumlinson . .   . . 


RANK 


Lt.-Colonel 

Captain 


Lieutenant 
Lt. -Adjutant 
Lt.-Ma.st  Ord. 
Sergt. -Major 
Aid  to  Travis 
Lt. -Quartermaster 
Asst.  " 


Surgeon 


Ensign 
Private 


WHERE  FROM 


Commandant 

Tennessee 

New  York 

Tennessee 

Louisiana  N.  O. -Greys 

Mississippi 

Texas 
Te  ■  as 
Tennessee 

N.  O.  Greys 

Ireland 


Tennessee 
South  Carolina 
Texas 

Nacogdoches 
Trinity,  TeAas 
Georgia 

Philadelphia,  Penn. 
Kentucky 

Natchez,^  Miss. 

Nacogdoches 
Nacogdoches 
Nacogdoches 
Tennessee 


Navidad,  Texas 
New  Orleans 
New  Orleans 

Scotland 

Ireland 

Philadelphia 

Tennessee 
Penu.sylvania 


New  Orleans 

New  Orleans 

England 

New  Orleans  (or  Gaiietti 

England 

New  Orleans 

Boston 


Philadelphia 


ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF   THF  ALAMO. 


39 


LIST   OF  ^KWM'S^.— Continued. 


NAME 


Win.  Deardorf 

Dan'l  Bourne 

Ingram 

W   I.  Lewis 

Charles  Zanco 

James  Ewing 

Robert  Cunningham. 

S.  Burns 

George  Neggin 

J.  B.  Bonham 

Robinson 

Marcu.s  Sewell 

Harriss 

John  Flanders  

Isaac  Ryan 

I.  Jackson 

Almeron  Dickinson . . 
George  C.  Kimbell... 

James  (icorge 

Dolphin   Floyd 

Thomas  Jackson 

Jacob  Durst 

George  W.  Cottle.  ... 
Andrew  Kent 

Thomas  R.  Miller... 

Isaac  Baker 

William  King 

Jesse  McCoy 

Claiborne  Wright... 
William    Fishhack   . . 

I.saac  Millsaps 

Galba  Fuqua 

John  Davis 

.\lbert  Martin. 

John 

B.  A.  M.  Thomas 


WHERE  FROM 


Private 


Lieutenant 
Private 


Kn'.'land 
jKngland 
1  Wales, 

Denmark 


ilreland 

South  Carolina 
Scotland 

(Shoe  Maker) 
Kentucky 

Opelousas 
Ireland 
Gonzales  |  n 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales  , 
Gonzales  ' 
Gonzales 
Gonzales 
Gonzales  I  ^^-5 
Gonzales  |  ■-.S' 
Gonzales  I   J;  o 
Gonzales  1  u  u 
Gonzales  |  ij^ 
Gonzales  1  iji 
Clerk  to  Desanque 
Killed  in  Alamo 


o  iJ 


The  foregoing  list  is  not  included  in  the  general  certificate  Feb.  17,  1839. 


A  list  of  the  Gonzales  Ranging  Company  of  Mounted  Volun- 
teers, mustered  into  service  on  the  23d  day  of  February,  1836, 
by  Byrd  Lockhart,  acting  commissioner  for  that  purpose  and  aid- 
de-camp  to  the  acting  Governor  of  Texas,  attached  to  Travis' 
command: 


NAME 

RANK 

REMARKS 

George  C.  Kimbell 

William  A.  Irwin 

Lieutenant 

1st  Sergeant 

Private 

Killed 

Kille  ' 
Killed 
Killed 

Killed 

Killed 
Killed 

Killed 
Killed 
Killed 
Killed 
Killed 
Killed 

Killed 

Jesse^McCoy 

William  Fahbaigh 

John  G.  King 

Daniel  McCoy,  Jr 

Jacob  Durst 

Frederick  C.  Elm 

ProspectjMcCoy 

M.  L.  Sewell 

Robert  White 

John  Ballard., 

James  Nash 

William  Morri-son 

(iaiba  Fuqua 

A.  Devault 

John  Harriss 

Andrew 'Kent 

Isaac  Millsaps 

William  E.  Summers 

David  Kent 

John  Davis 

^o  ORIGIN  AND  FALL  OF  THE  ALAMO. 

To  these  Mrs.  Candelaria  adds  the  following  Mexicans: 

Jose  Marera  Cabrera.  Tula,  Mexico.  Jose  Maria  limenes,  Mexico. 

Elijio  or  Elias  I.,osoyo,  Sau  Autonio.  Jacinto,  from  the  coast  of  Texas. 

These  make  169  slain.     Dr.  Sutherland  stated  172. 


Adjutant  General's  Office, 
Austin,  March  11,  1850. 
I  hereby  certify  the  foregoing  to  be  true  copies  of  the  original 
muster  rolls  now  on  file  in  this  office. 

BEN  F.  HILL, 
Adjutant  General. 

Certificates  from  James  S.  Gillett,  Adjutant  General,  dated 
March  19  and  December  29,  1853,  attached  to  copy  of  muster  roll 
now  on  file  in  this  office,  show  that  Micajah  Antry  and  Lewis 
Duel  were  killed  at  the  Alamo. 

General  Land  Office,        ) 
Austin,  Texas,  March  30,  1889.  ) 
L  R.  M.  Hall,  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office  of  the 
State  of  Texas,  hereby  certify  that  the  above  and  foregoing  is  a 
true  and  correct  copy  of  the  copy  of  the  names  of  those  who  fell 
at  the  Alamo  on  the  6th  of  March,  1836,  now  on  file  in  this  office. 
In  testimony  whereof,  I  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
affix  the  impress  of  the  seal  of  said  office  this 
March  30,  1889. 

R.    M.   HALL, 

Commissioner. 

Jonathan  Linly,  fell  at  the  Alamo,  vouched  for  by  J.  D.  Parker, 
of  Birdville,  Tarrant  county,  Texas,  as  per  his  letter  to  the  Asso- 
ciation, dated  October  23,  1892,  and  on  this  statement  the   name 
of  Jonathan  Linly  will  be  placed  on  the  Alamo  monument. 
ALAMO   MONUMENT  ASSOCIATION, 

H.  P.  Bee,  Sec'y. 


Alamo  Monument  Association. 


San  Antonio,  Texas. 


CHARTERED  BY  THE  STATE  OF  TEXAS 


MRS.   MARY  A.   MAVERICK President 

NATHANIEL  MITCHELL Vice  President 

JOHN  S.  FORD Vice  President 

HAMILTON  P.  BEE Secretary 

DIRECTORS. 

W.  H.  Young,  James  McMaster  , 

Mrs    Geo.  Newton,  Mrs    A.  J.  Dignowity, 

Mrs.  Geo  Chabot,  Sr  ,  Sam  Maverick, 

Morrill  Poor,  R.  B.  Green, 

C.  L.  Dignowity,  Carlos  Bee, 

Bryan  Callaghan,  Sam  Lytle, 

Arthur  Seeligson,  Hart  Mussey. 


Published   bv  authoritv. 


H.  P.  Bee. 

Sec'y  Alamo  Monument  Ass'n. 


PROPOSED  ALAMO   MONUMENT. 


I 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


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